Coming Home To You
by michimontgirls
Summary: When best friends, Elizabeth Thatcher and Jack Thornton, graduated high school years ago, the world was at their feet. After years of life apart from each other, both have returned to their small home town community on the Cape. Each seeking a fresh start and healing, but not necessarily love. Now after 16 years, will they get a second chance at the life that could have been?
1. Chapter 1

Jack Thornton drove along the Atlantic Coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The top of his red 2016 Jeep Wrangler was down to take advantage of the warm summer's sea air. It felt good to be home. Especially after all that had happened the past few years.

He was on his way to Hyannis, his hometown. His whole childhood happened on these beaches not to mention his first love, though he had been too much of a scaredy cat at the time to do much about it. Falling in love with his best friend had never been a part of the plan. She had been truly something though, in his eyes anyway. Someone Jack never felt he deserved to have by his side.

It had been a while since Jack had even let the memories of that unexplored love occupy his thoughts. Something about the sky blue hydrangeas he'd been passing for the past hour or more brought it all back. Her blue eyes, wavy, nutmeg brown, curly hair, a smile that would make the angels jealous. But that was a whole other life ago now. He had been so young then. His whole life ahead of him.

When Jack graduated high school, he left his quiet hometown to pursue his dream of becoming a firefighter, like his father. He went to the University of Texas in Austin for a degree in fire science. There he met Ashley Newman, a blonde haired beauty in the interior design department. They married right after graduation and settled down in an Austin suburb. Life was good. Before long they had a beautiful little girl, Harper. She had Jack's dimples and green eyes and her mom's long blond hair. They were happy or at least that's what Jack thought.

Everything changed one day when Jack came home early to surprise his wife. Ashley had been complaining for a while that his work at the fire station was keeping him away from them too much. He didn't like it, but she was right. The station had been down a man for months by that point and with Jack trying for a promotion it just seemed right to step up as much as possible. All the men were pulling extra duty.

That night, Jack had just been awarded his dream job. A promotion to chief of the Austin City Fire Station. He planned a sleepover for Harper so he could surprise Ashley with a night all to themselves. Reservations at their favorite restaurant and everything. The surprise was on him unfortunately. He came home to find his wife with another man. To make matters even worse, the man was his friend Troy, from the fire station. It was a total betrayal.

For a year, Jack fought with Ashley to give their marriage another try. In his mind, marriage was for life. At the end of that year however, their divorce was made final. Ashley was done. One thing worked out for Jack in all of the chaos, he was granted primary custody of their daughter, Harper. Ashley had taken a new job with a high-end hotel chain that would have her traveling more often than not, giving her less time for parenting. Jack swore to himself that he would do whatever it took to give Harper the life she deserved.

That was why they were moving back to the Cape now. It had been well over a year since the divorce had became final and it was time for a change. Initially Jack stayed in Austin for Harper's sake, thinking it was best to keep her near her friends and her mother. But with Ashley gone so much and Harper being 11 and about to go into middle school, it seemed like the perfect time to move back home. Here they'd be closer to Jack's parents and the local fire department, which had a chief opening, which would be less demanding on them.

Jack looked over to the front passenger seat. Harper's blond hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail with only a few loose strands blowing in the open breeze. She looked tired from the long day's of drive. They'd been driving for two days now, with a short stop over at Jack's brother Tom's the night before.

"How are you doing, Honey Bee?" he spoke sweetly, breaking the silence.

Harper shrugged. "I'm okay." She shifted in her seat and looked out the window more. "It's really pretty here."

"It is. I think you're going to love living here."

"Maybe. I've always liked visiting."

They were about an hour out from the house. Jack handed her the iPod. "Your turn again, pick something for us to listen to."

"You sure?" she giggled. "You don't like my music."

"I do too! Just… in moderation."

"Alright. No complaining! You're asking for this."

"Just put something on with a beat. That's the best kind of driving music."

She smiled, "Okay, Dad, here it goes." She hit play and music by Katy Perry started streaming through the speakers.

Jack reached over turning up the volume as they drove. He knew if the music was loud enough, Harper would start singing along. He loved listening to her beautiful voice. She'd always loved to sing, but since the divorce she'd hardly sung at all. Only in church on Sunday mornings was Jack lucky enough to hear her. He understood it. Jack hadn't lifted up his guitar much either in a while. This road trip seemed to do the trick though for Harper. His heart had been overjoyed listening to her sing more and more over their 2,000 mile journey. This move was the right decision. He knew it in his soul. Their future was here.

An hour and a half later, after an impromptu stop at Jack's old favorite diner for ice cream sundaes, they pulled into the driveway of his childhood home. Now his new home. The modest 2 story home with its cedar shingle siding and its uninterrupted view of the ocean looked like a Cape Cod postcard.

Jack put the Jeep in park just as Harper jumped out, running straight up the little hill from the drive towards Papa Tom and Nana Charlotte who were waiting by the Adirondack chairs in the front yard.

"Harper Girl! Oh, we've missed you!" Tom said picking up his granddaughter.

"I've missed you too, Papa!"

Jack walked up the hill misty eyed at the sight before him. Tom put Harper down and she moved to Charlotte receiving a similar greeting.

"Welcome home, son." Tom hugged him hard. "We're glad you're here."

"Thanks, Dad. So am I." Jack hugged his father tight then stood back. "You sure you're ready to give up this place?"

"More than sure. The upkeep is too much for us. We're not spring geese anymore you know?"

"It's spring chickens, isn't it Dad?"

"What's your point?"

"Nothing, Dad." Jack laughed.

"Anyway, this is perfect. The condo we've just bought suits us well and this place is a great for you and Harper to start over."

"Well, we appreciate it."

"We wouldn't have it any other way, Jack." Charlotte hugged and kissed her son. "That moving truck got here yesterday. We got some men from the church to come unload everything so you wouldn't have to pay for it another day. Feel free to rearrange however you'd like, of course. It's your home now. Any of the furniture or boxes we didn't know what to do with went into the garage."

"That's great. Thanks." Jack put his arm around Harper. "What do you say, Honey Bee? Ready to check out our new home? Then we can get some pizza."

Harper looked over at the house and then to Jack. "Okay Dad. Let's do this."

….

Elizabeth Thatcher made a grilled cheese sandwich for herself and her 11 year old son Dylan.

"Grilled cheese again, Mom?"

"Sorry, bud. I made tomato soup too." Well, she poured it out of the can into a pan and heated it up, but it worked.

Dylan picked up his spoon, prepared to take a bite but Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Blessing first, Dylan. You know that." He put his spoon down and bowed his head.

"Dear God, thank you for this meal, even if we already had grilled cheese twice this week." He kept an eye on his mom who cleared her throat. "Thank you for Mom and Grandpa Will and Grandma Grace too. Amen."

"Dylan Christopher," she said, shaking her head.

"What? Three times. Can't we have pizza some night like normal people or hot dogs?"

"You know what? You're right. Let's get pizza tomorrow."

"From Pete's?"

"Where else?" she smiled.

"Can we watch a movie too and have popcorn?"

"Sure."

"Can Aunt Vi and Cooper come over?"

"Ok. And before you ask, yes, Coop can stay over."

"Awesome! Thanks."

Elizabeth picked up her now almost cold grilled cheese and took a bite after dipping it in the soup. There was something comforting about the simple meal. She never claimed to be a chef but being unable to make her childhood favorites for most of the last twelve years made it all the more comforting.

When Elizabeth graduated from high school cum laude she'd earned a full scholarship to Harvard where she studied Elementary education. While in college, she met and married Ray Wyatt, her now ex-husband. At first he was sweet and kind, making her easily fall for him. So in her junior year, they married and after graduation, she became pregnant and had Dylan. A few years in, things changed. Ray was not typically a violent man, his words were his weapons, tearing her down any chance he got, including her cooking.

He was a smart lawyer, winning lots of cases over the years. Then he was hired to defend a high profile client and after six months of trials, he lost big. And then he lost his job. His job had paid for their expensive home and other things such as a cook to make him more "edible" meals. Her job as a third grade teacher couldn't begin to cover those things.

Once he realized that, he started drinking and his mental abuse got worse. He even controlled her clothing choices, making sure she dressed extra conservatively so that no one else would possibly be attracted to her. They eventually lost their house and when things got to their worst, Elizabeth decided to leave him, not just for her sake, but Dylan's as well.

She filed for separation and eventually moved away from Washington D.C., heading back home to Hyannis in Cape Cod. She tried staying in the city as long as she could for Dylan but it was too much. Ray's lawyers dragged the divorce proceedings out for over a year. Draining all Elizabeth's patience and resources. Her divorce may have only been finalized for 6 months, but she'd been out of the marriage for years.

Currently, they've lived in her parent's fancy garage apartment for six months, living off what was left of her savings, the divorce finally finished, and recently she had been hired as Principal for Hyannis East Middle School.

Now, she had freedom to make grilled cheese and tomato soup whenever she wanted or spaghetti and meatballs or get pizza with Dylan. Life was looking up.

.…

The next day Elizabeth and Dylan met her sister Viola and her son Cooper, who was eight, at Pete's Pizza. The boys immediately started chattering and Elizabeth and Vi followed suit.

Clara, Pete's wife came over to say hello and take their order. "Elizabeth! It's great to see you."

"You too, Clara. How's business?"

"Great. Busy. This must be the week for seeing old high school friends."

"Why, who else did you see?" Elizabeth asked, curious.

"Jack Thornton. Yesterday, he came in."

"Jack's in town?" Elizabeth asked, almost choking on the words.

"Yes, he just moved here yesterday, from Austin I think he said."

"ORDER UP!" Pete bellowed from the kitchen.

"I've been standing here gabbing and I didn't take your order. What would you like?"

"Large deep dish pepperoni and side salad with ranch please," Vi ordered for all of them.

"Coming up," Clara said, slipping her notepad in the pocket of her apron and walking away.

Elizabeth let her mind wander back sixteen years to high school graduation. She and Jack had known that their friendship was at a crossroads. The University of Texas and Harvard were nowhere near each other. They had been best friends since freshman year and Elizabeth had fallen in love with him almost immediately. She never told him though. She was brainy and awkward and definitely not his type so she didn't see the point.

That summer after their graduation, they hung out just like always, but that August, they went separate ways. He said he would write and she believed him, but…

"Beth? You okay?"

"What?"

"You look upset. Is it because Jack is back in town?" Vi wondered.

"I'm not upset. I'm fine."

"You should find out where he's living."

"Why?"

"Because he meant a lot to you back then."

"We were friends, I thought." Friends keep promises and he broke his and didn't keep in touch.

"You loved him, Beth."

"Past tense, Vi. No use in bringing up the past."

However it had been brought up now and the past was exactly what would occupied her mind for the next few weeks.


	2. Chapter 2

2 Weeks Later…

Jack woke up with the ocean breeze wafting through his open bedroom window. This sort of wake up call was something he was quickly getting used to. The past two weeks had been a whirlwind for him and Harper. Jack was getting used to things at the new fire station and while he was there Harper got to enjoy some special time with her grandparents. When he was off work, he did his best to introduce Harper to all the things he loved about living on the Cape. Cookouts on the beach, sailing, kayaking, and biking to their favorite ice cream place, to name a few.

Noticing the hour, he jumped out of bed, grabbed an old t-shirt and left the downstairs master bedroom. The rest of the house was still and quiet. He walked to the base of the stairs and listened, but there was no sign of movement from Harper's room. School would be starting in just a couple of days, so he decided to let her rest.

With a large mug of coffee, Jack wandered out to the front yard. Being home brought him back to how life used to be growing up. He and his friends would spend hours down at the beach. At night they'd all sit around a fire and play guitar and sing. As he traveled down memory lane, his mind seemed to fixate on the girl whose side he had never wanted to leave. Elizabeth.

"Dad?" Harper's soft voice called out to him from the front porch steps.

"Morning, Honey Bee." Jack smiled at his daughter. "How'd you sleep?"

She shrugged. "Good."

"Glad to hear it. How do you feel about pancakes this morning?"

"Okay, I guess."

"You guess?" Jack walked towards her. "What if I put chocolate chips in them? Does that sound better to you?"

Harper smiled. "Sounds great, Dad."

"Alright! Let's do this!"

Twenty minutes and a very messy kitchen later, Jack and Harper sat outside, each with a nice stack of warm chocolate chip pancakes drizzled with maple syrup and a side of fruit.

"You know I was thinking, with school starting in a few days, we should get the rest of your school shopping done. You wanted to get a few more outfits, right?"

"Yeah, but today?"

"Why not?"

Harper shifted in her seat. "I don't know. I guess today's good."

"Okay…" Jack was unsure why his normally confident 11 year old seemed nervous all of a sudden. After all, it was just clothes shopping. Girls loved that stuff, right?

"Can I try calling Mom before we leave?"

"It's a work day, but sure. Why don't you get dressed and then give her a call. You can use my cell."

"Thanks, Dad." She stuffed the last bite of pancake in her mouth and downed her orange juice. "Breakfast was great. Thanks."

"You're welcome, hon."

…..

Sitting at her kitchen table, Elizabeth checked the online rental property website for a home for her and Dylan. She appreciated her parents letting her live above their garage at such short notice but now, she needed to be on her own. She never really had been. She went from living with her parents to a short period of time in a dorm where they still provided necessities, and then she married Ray.

There was the year she and Ray were going through the divorce, but that felt chaotic and messy. This was her chance to be a single mom, to feel normal and be in charge of her own life. This was where she would prove she was capable.

"Mom? Can we go swimming?"

"Swimming? Like in the ocean?"

"Yeah. We don't have a pool."

"Right." She closed her laptop and looked at her son. He had grown a good inch over the summer and now he needed new jeans. And a haircut. "It's early. Lets go to the barber shop and get you a haircut and then to get you some new jeans and when we come back, we can swim."

"I don't need a haircut, Mom. I want to grow it out some and my jeans are fine."

"You absolutely need new jeans but I guess we can wait a bit on your haircut." It couldn't hurt to wait a few weeks. Especially if it made him happy.

"Why do we have to go today?"

"Because this is Thursday and school starts Monday. I have to go in to work tomorrow so this is the only day we have."

"Fine," he said with a dramatic sigh.

"I can go myself but you might not like the ones I pick out. Plus this way, we can go to Ryan's after."

"What's Ryan's?"

"A bowling alley and arcade. We can get some food and play a few games. Vi and Coop could join us, if you want."

"Can we still go swimming later?"

"Of course."

"Yeah! Let's go."

About an hour later, the boys were happily playing a game of bowling while Vi and Elizabeth were at the table chatting.

"Did you see him yet?" Vi asked.

"Who?"

"Jack Thornton. I heard he's the new fire chief in town. I guess that's why he moved here."

"Well, I haven't had any fires, so no, I haven't seen him." To know that he was doing what he'd wanted to do with his life, made Elizabeth happy, even if she still felt hurt from how their friendship ended.

"At least you know where he works."

"I'm not going to go search him out, Vi. I just got divorced and the last thing I need is another man to control my life. I want to be in control for once."

"You've been officially divorced for over 6 months, and separated from that jerk for almost 2 years. It's okay if you want to get back out there."

"Your turn, Mom!" Dylan told Elizabeth.

Elizabeth stood and gave Dylan a high five. Nice job, Dyl."

She did her best to shake off her sister's words. For all Elizabeth knew, Jack could be as bad as Ray. Years could change a person. Look at her, the years made her untrusting and skeptical. It could have made Jack controlling and mean, even though in her heart, she couldn't fathom her former best friend as anything but kind, thoughtful, and loving.

Elizabeth got ready and then walked up to the lane and threw her ball. She watched as it bounced from side to side. "Thank goodness for bumpers."

…..

Harper led Jack into the fourth, and Jack hoped the last, clothing store at the outlet mall. The talk with her mom must have gone well because she seemed to have a new energy.

"Okay, Honey Bee, what's left?"

"I was thinking I'd get a few new shorts for gym class. Is that okay?"

"Of course! You know, I read that soccer tryouts start next week. You want to give it a try?"

"I don't know." Her gaze shifted to her sandal clad feet. "I'd need stuff if I was going to play again."

"You mean new cleats? I think I saw some back at the shoe store."

"No… not just cleats, Dad."

"Okay, what else?"

"Just… things alright?" She sighed, clearly getting frustrated. "Besides, I was good in Austin, but what if I totally stink here?"

"You were very good in Austin, hon. Besides, you'll never know unless you try."

Harper didn't look up. Her energetic attitude from just moments ago seemed to disappear. "Can I think about it?"

"Decision's totally up to you." Jack felt bad, he hadn't meant to kill the mood. Harper had loved playing soccer back in Texas. He hoped getting her involved here would help her make friends and feel more connected.

"Okay," Harper finally stated. "But just in case I decide to do it, I think I should get four pairs of athletic shorts." Without giving him time to argue, she headed off towards the racks of shorts.

Jack gave her a wave and walked around the store alone, trying to give Harper her privacy. "I don't know that I'll ever understand girls," he muttered to himself.

With four new brightly colored athletic shorts in hand, Harper started back towards her father. She was almost there when she came to a rack of bras in all styles and sizes. She looked around to see if anyone was watching. Confident that she was alone, she carefully took the closest one off the rack and examined it closely.

"A, B, 32, 34… what does all that mean?" She sighed and placed the garment back on the rack.

"Hi!" A bouncy voice said from behind. "Can I help you find anything?"

"What? I um… no thanks."

"Are you in need of a new bra?" The saleswoman asked with a smile. "We just got these in last week. My daughters love them. What size are you?"

"I… I don't know."

"Oh, that's alright. Do you need you measurements done?"

"My what? No thanks. I think I'm just going to get these shorts and go home." The saleswoman headed off to the counter. When Harper turned around to find Jack, he was already walking up to her. "All done," she said, eager to get out of there fast.

"Yeah? Let me see." Jack took the shorts from her. "Nice colors."

"Thanks. Can we go now?" Her voice dripped with attitude and impatience.

"Harper, what's up?"

"Nothing. I just want to go home now." Her eyes quickly darted to the rack of undergarments and back to the ground.

Confused, Jack looked around. That's when he noticed what particular clothing items they were standing by. "Oh." Jack felt himself break into a sweat. "Did you… um, need one of those?"

"Yes, I mean… just forget it." Harper burst into tears and ran past Jack toward the door.

"Harper, its okay. Wait!"

"Just leave me alone!"

Jack dropped the pile of the clothes on the check out counter and told the saleswoman they would be back. He rushed outside and looked left and right for Harper. Thankfully she didn't get far.

"Honey." Jack walked over to the bench she was crying on. He wrapped his arm around her and she fell into his side. "Harper, talk to me, sweetie.'

"Mom was supposed to help me with this before we moved but, there wasn't time. I called her this morning but she didn't answer."

"I see. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know."

Jack rubbed his free hand over his face. He felt completely out of his element. "Tell you what, we can do two things here. I can give you the money and you can go in and talk to the saleswoman in there and I bet she'd help you." Harper looked up at him mortified. Jack threw his hands up to calm her. "Or we can call Nana. She'll know what to do. What do you say?"

"Nana. Definitely, Nana."

"Alright." Jack leaned in and kissed the top of her head. "I'm so sorry, hon."

"For what?" Harper wiped her damp eyes.

"That I'm not Mom. That you're stuck with just me."

Harper looked up at him. "Dad, you don't need to be Mom and I'm not stuck. I want to be with you."

Jack could feel the sting of tears in his eyes. "Thanks, Honey Bee. I love you."

"I love you too."

Jack stood up from the bench to make the call to his mom. Out of ear shot of his daughter he pushed send. The phone rang twice before she answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mom. Are you busy?"

"Not at all. Just watching paint dry."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. We're painting the living room but your father and I can't agree on a color. We're waiting for the samples to dry so we can make a decision. What do you know about the difference between eggshell and egg white?"

"Nothing. Look Mom, I need your help."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm at the outlets with Harper to get back to school clothes and well… there's something she needs that… let's just say I'm not that equipped to help her with. Something that you use."

"Son, you're drifting, just spit it out."

"A bra, Mom. She needs a bra."

"Oh dear!" Charlotte laughed. "I'm on my way."

"Thanks, Mom."

"That's what I'm here for."

…..

Elizabeth headed to school the next day, leaving Dylan with her parents. She had to finish getting her office set up and do some paperwork so that she would be ready for the next week. By mid-day she was ready to go and she headed home to run.

When she came to Hyannis, she started running again. It had been years, but she also had gained a bit of weight since the divorce so it was not only to get back into shape, but also to kill the stress she felt from everything that was changing.

She headed to her parent's to say hi, letting them and Dylan know where she would be and then she walked over to her apartment and changed into shorts and a tank top with her running shoes.

As she jogged over to the beach, she sighed, listening to the waves break and the breezes. She was so glad she was home. The Cape always had a pull on her, ever since she left to go to college. She didn't want to think that it had anything to do with her first love, Jack, but now that she knew he was in town and she thought about him constantly, she thought maybe that was it.

She broke into a run as she approached the water and got into the pace she liked. She ran for a bit and then noticed that she had come to the area where she and Jack and a bunch of his friends had come many evenings after school. Jack and Jesse, one of his good friends, played their guitars and sang. Jack had the most captivating voice, a little raspy, powerful when needed, but mostly just smooth. He really put a lot of feeling into the songs and that made her love him even more. She could listen to him sing for hours. She wondered if he still played.

As she continued, she noticed a cottage with a "for rent" sign on the dirt path off of the beach road. It was cute. It had nice size trees out front that Dylan would love to climb, she was sure of it. It also had rose bushes and a nice cobblestone pathway up to the front. It was white but it had blue shutters and a blue door that really popped. It even had a carport that would be nice in the winter. It looked perfect. She made a mental note to check the online listing when she got home, hoping and praying the monthly rent was doable for her.

She could see them living there already which might turn out to be a bad thing if someone had already rented it or if it was too expensive. It couldn't hurt to check though.

She jogged back toward her house oblivious to the fact that she was being watched from a house nearby.

Jack saw her run by about fifteen minutes before, thinking she looked familiar but mostly he was mesmerized by her long legs and curves. She ran with confidence but also like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. Something about her made him want to know what she was struggling with. Maybe he would plan his next run so that he could bump into her.


	3. Chapter 3

"Rise and shine!" Elizabeth called into Dylan's room from the doorway.

"No," Dylan groaned. "No rising and no shining."

"It's the first day of school. Your first day of Middle School!"

"Exactly. That's why I'm staying here."

"Dylan Christopher, I'm giving you 5 minutes, then I want you up for breakfast."

"Yes, Mom." With that he pulled the covers over his head.

Elizabeth went down the short hallway and sat at the small kitchen table with her coffee while she waited. To pass the time she picked up her phone and began checking through her emails, noticing she had been asked to attend a district lunch meeting that afternoon.

"And so it begins," she rolled her eyes. She replied that she would attend and continued through her messages. The next one made her smile. It was from Abigail Stanton. Her son and daughter-in-law were old friends of Elizabeth's from childhood. As it turned out, Abigail was the one in charge of the cute little cottage that was for rent.

An older couple had been living there for decades but had recently decided to move south, closer to their grown kids and grandchildren. They asked Abigail to oversee the rental for the time being. So when Elizabeth called to inquire about the cottage, Abigail was happy to show her around. The cottage was even cuter on the inside. Two bedrooms, adorable kitchen, a back deck, and a grassy path that lead straight down to the beach. The best part, the price was just right. Enough for Elizabeth to even put some money away and grow her savings again.

In the email, Abigail let her know that everything was set for Elizabeth and Dylan to move in that weekend!

There was a shuffling noise down the hall. She looked up and giggled. Her little boy wasn't so little anymore. He'd grown a lot over the summer, just like his hair, which was now tousled all over the place. Dylan came into the kitchen and slumped in his chair. "Morning."

"Morning, handsome. Egg, cheese and bacon sandwich sound good for your first day?"

"Can I have it on a bagel?"

"Of course!"

"Then I'm game." He reached for the glass of orange juice she'd poured for him.

Elizabeth made two bagel sandwiches, one for herself, the other for Dylan and sat back down.

"I have good news. Mrs. Stanton emailed me this morning. We're all set to move into the cottage I showed you."

"Cool. It was really nice."

"It was, and it will be nice to have our own space again."

"Definitely." Dylan was happy. This move brought back a little light on his mom's face. That made him very happy.

…..

"Wakey Wakey! Eggs and Bacon!" Jack called up the stairs to Harper's room. "Breakfast is on."

"Are you serious?" Harper yelled back.

"Yes. Do I need to install the kind of alarms we have at the fire station?"

"If you do that, I'll move in with Papa and Nana. I promise you!"

"That would make me sad," Jack called back up with a laugh. "Please come down. Breakfast is ready."

"Fine." She flung the covers off and grabbed her dad's old college hoodie off her desk chair and headed down to the kitchen.

"There's my sleeping beauty," Jack smiled from the stove. He was already dressed in his uniform for work.

"Funny, Dad." She sat down at the table and looked at the glass in front of her. "Juice? Can't I have some coffee? I'm in middle school after all."

"Well, let's see, are you as tall as you want to be?"

"What? No. I'm not done growing."

"There you have it. Coffee is said to stunt your growth. So unless you're content being that size forever, I suggest you stick with juice." He placed a plate with toast, bacon and eggs in front of her. "Eat up! Today's a big day!"

"I guess."

"You nervous?"

She shrugged. Harper had always been good at school. Good at making friends was another story. She was a sweet girl, but her shy demeanor made getting to know new people tricky.

….

An hour later, Jack drove Harper to school on his way to work. Her silence made him nervous. He hoped moving back was a good idea in regards to her. He said a silent prayer that she'd make at least one good friend today.

"Here we are," he said pulling up to the curb. "Want me to walk you in?"

"No, I can do this on my own."

"Okay." Jack reached over and hugged her. "Have a great day, Honey Bee."

"Thanks, Dad. Be safe at work."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too." She exited the car and with a wave, hurried inside. Jack stayed at the curb till she was safely inside.

After walking around for a bit, getting a feel for the place, Harper walked into Mrs. Sullivan's 5th grade classroom. It was nice, very well decorated. The desks were arranged in groups of four around the room. Two facing two. Each desk had a folder with a student's name on it. Harper walked around the room of desks till she found the folder with her name on it in the back right corner.

Taking her seat, she watched as all the other children walked in and took their seats. Everyone seemed to already know each other.

"Here we go…" she muttered to herself.

….

Dylan left the library in a hurry and went to his locker, grateful that he was able to get it open on the first try. He'd spent most of the morning in the back corner of the library hiding from the world. He was so lost in his book, he missed the first bell going off. When he realized what time it was, he had to book it to get to class on time.

He entered his classroom and scanned for anyone he might have known from the three months he'd spent in school before the summer break. There were a few, to which he was grateful for. One was his friend Cody, a nice skinny blonde kid who liked to ride bikes and play lacrosse. He seemed like the kind of kid Dylan could be good friends with. If he let himself. All last year, Cody was nice and friendly. Maybe this year Dylan would try to be a friend too.

The final bell rang, so instead of going over to Cody, who gave a friendly wave, Dylan just went to find his seat. He walked down the aisle and took his seat. In the set of desks behind him sat a blonde girl he'd never seen before. She looked sad. Dylan, as grumpy as he could be at times, never liked seeing others sad.

"Hey," he said with a nod. "I'm Dylan."

"Hi." She tried to smile. "I'm Harper."

"Nice to meet you."

Mrs. Sullivan clapped her hands as she stood at the front of the room. "Morning class!" The red haired teacher smiled. "Welcome to your first day of the 5th grade. I'm Mrs. Sullivan and I'm very excited to be your teacher this year. Now, you're all new to this school, but at least one of you is new to this area as well."

Harper sunk in her seat, praying Mrs. Sullivan wouldn't draw attention to her. Thankfully all the teacher did was encourage everyone to make an effort with everyone and be open to new friends.

…..

The morning dragged on but finally it was lunch time. Harper walked into the busy lunch room with her purple LLBean lunch bag in hand. She didn't feel like making small talk with anyone, so she found a quiet spot and sat down.

At the other end of the table, Dylan sat opposite Cody, who talked his ear off about the lacrosse camp he'd attended over the summer.

"Do you like lacrosse?" Cody asked.

"I've never played. Looks pretty sweet though."

"I'm a huge fan. If you want I have extra sticks. I could bring one and we could pass the ball and stuff. See if you'd like it."

"Sure."

Harper was reading her favorite book, Black Beauty, while she ate the grilled chicken salad her dad had packed for her. It was her favorite. He even packed her two chocolate chip cookies, another favorite.

Across the lunch room, Harper had unknowingly caught the attention of one of the 8th grade boys. One who liked to think he was older and more mature than he actually was.

"Hey guys, check out that new girl. She's pretty hot don't you think?" Bradley Wilcox said turning to his two friends.

"What grade do you think she's in?" one of the boys asked.

"I don't know, 7th, maybe 8th? Let's go see if she's any fun."

Bradley walked over to Harper's table and stood in front of her.

"Hey."

"Hi," Harper said softly peering over her book.

"You're new, right?"

"Yeah. I am. I just moved here from Austin, Texas."

"Ah, cowgirl huh?"

"Um, no. I'm from the city. Though I do know how to ride."

"Cool. Whose class are you in?"

"I'm in Mrs. Sullivan's."

That caused the boy's two friends who were now standing behind him to snicker at one another. They found the fact that their friend was trying to flirt with a little 5th grader very funny.

"Way to go there, Brad," one joked under his breath.

"Wait you're a 5th grader? I guess I should have figured. You kind of look like a baby." Now flustered, Bradley's flattery turned into bullying.

"I do not look like a baby," Harper said defensively.

"Sure you do. I mean the face is pretty but the rest of you…"

She got up to leave.

"What's this?" He snatched her book out of her hands.

"Give that back!"

"It's about a horse? So you are a little cowgirl."

"I said give it back!" She reached for it but missed.

Dylan looked up from his lunch and saw the tall, older kid standing across from Harper. She looked upset.

"Oh no. What's that guy doing?" he mumbled.

Cody looked over too and groaned. "That's Bradley Wilcox. He's not a nice guy. I remember him from elementary school." Dylan stood from his seat. "Where are you going?"

"He's being mean to Harper. We have to help her." Nervous, but with determination, he marched over. "Leave her alone."

"What's it to you?" Bradley snapped at him.

"You're being a jerk. Just give her the book and leave her alone."

"You want the book, come get it."

Dylan went to reach for it as Bradley and his friend began shoving Dylan around. "Knock it off!" Dylan demanded. He managed to shove Bradley back once before receiving a punch to the side of the face.

Harper ran off toward the teacher's table.

"Mrs. Sullivan, Dylan needs help!"

Mrs. Sullivan looked over to see all the commotion. "Oh my goodness!" She ran over. "Boys! Enough!"

The boys each took a couple steps back from another. Dylan, held the side of his face. It was throbbing from the hit he took.

"What happened?" the teacher asked.

Dylan started to explain but was cut off by Bradley, who insisted it was Dylan who started the fight.

"Both of you are going to the principal's office now," Mrs. Sullivan instructed.

"That's not fair!" Harper exclaimed.

"Now. Let's go. You too, Miss Thornton."

As they walked, both Dylan and Harper were silently trying to figure out how to explain this predicament to their parents.

…..

The three students sat impatiently in the main office. They felt like sheep being led to the slaughter as the large clock ticked away on the wall behind them.

After being briefed in his office to what happened by Mrs. Sullivan, Assistant Principal Flynn came out and walked up to the three students. "So I hear we're having a little problem already, huh?" No one said anything. "Well, we've called your parents and they're all on their way. For now, Bradley, since you seem to be a big part of what transpired, why don't you come into my office first?"

He rolled his eyes and slumped into the office.

"Mr. Flynn," Dylan stood. "Where's my mom?"

"She was in a district meeting over at the high school. I called her and she'll be here soon."

"Okay." He sat back down.

Once the door to the assistant principal's office was shut Harper asked, "Who's your mother?"

"Principal Thatcher."

"Wait, as in the principal of this school?"

"Yeah. Lucky me, right?"

They sat in complete silence for what felt like the longest minute of their young lives. Bradley's mother walked in making her intense presence known and looked around the room.

"Where's Bradley?"

"In Mr. Flynn's office, ma'am," Dylan answered respectfully.

"Thank you." She looked at the red bruising mark on Dylan's face and sighed before she walked over and entered the room as if she'd done it before many times.

Dylan slumped down in his seat and sighed. He touched the ice pack he'd been given to the side of his face and winced. This was not how he'd thought the day would go.

Harper looked over at her classmate. He seemed as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. She felt angry at herself for how the scene in the cafeteria played out.

"Thanks for trying to help me. I'm sorry you got hurt."

Dylan looked over at Harper. There was a slight evidence of tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. He hated watching people cry. "It's okay. That guy's a jerk. Thanks for getting the teacher before he killed me," he said with a small laugh.

"You're welcome." Harper stared down at her hands. "Why… why did you stand up for me anyway?"

Dylan rested his head back against his chair and stared at the ceiling above. "Let's just say I'm done letting the bad guys get away with stuff like that."

"Have you been picked on before?"

"Something like that." Truth was, it wasn't from him getting picked on but what his mother went through. Memories of his life before they left his father filled his mind. He could feel his stomach turn as he remembered the sound of his father's voice and the things he'd say to his mother. Quickly, he decided to change the subject. "So, you're the one the teacher was talking about? Being new to the area?" She nodded. "Where'd you use to live?"

"Austin, Texas. My parents are divorced." She wasn't sure why she gave him that detail, but she felt she could trust him.

"Ah, I get that. My parents are divorced too. We moved here from DC six months ago. You live with your mom?"

"No." She shook her head vigorously. "She's back in Austin or traveling somewhere or something. I don't know." Harper sighed. "She wasn't a good wife to my dad."

"Oh." It seemed they had some things in common. "My dad, he wasn't a good husband either."

Harper looked over, "I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Me too." He scratched his head. "I'm lucky, I guess. My mom's pretty awesome. I get annoyed with her sometimes, like this morning when she dragged me out of bed way too early. Or when she wants me to cut my hair. But I know she loves me. That's more than I can say for my dad. What about you?"

"My dad's great. He tries to be super dad sometimes. Trying to make up for my mom."

"That's nice."

The office door opened and Elizabeth entered in a hurry. She looked around and quickly found her son. "Dylan, what happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." He stood and accepted the hug she offered.

"I can't believe you were fighting."

"I wasn't! I mean, I didn't mean to."

"It was my fault, Ms. Thatcher." Harper stood.

"What's your name?" Elizabeth asked sweetly, seeing a world of emotions in the young girl's face.

"Harper Thornton, ma'am."

"Thornton?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Thornton?" Elizabeth asked again.

"Yes, ma'am."

What were the chances that she was related to Jack? There were probably other Thorntons in the area. She didn't have to know him.

These were the things she kept telling herself as she, Harper, and Dylan sat in her office and waited for Harper's parent to show up.

"So, your mom is coming, Harper?"

"No, ma'am. My Dad."

She closed her eyes and hoped it wasn't him. She had no idea what to say or ask. Except the obvious. "Why didn't you write to me like you promised?"

She heard a male voice outside the door and then a knock. Elizabeth took a breath and then straightened her jacket over her hips before opening the door.

When the door opened they both stared. His eyes growing wide and then following from the top of her head, quickly to her feet. Hers doing the same. "Mr. Thornton," she said formally. "Please come in." She stepped back and allowed him to come in.

"You're the principal? What are the chances?"

"Yes, I am. We have a few things to discuss."

Jack took her tone to mean that business with Harper would come first, questions later. So he took the seat next to Harper. "Harp, what happened? They told me there was a fight. Please tell me you didn't do that to his face," he said, nodding at Dylan.

"No, sir," Dylan broke in. "Bradley the jerk did it."

"Dylan Wyatt," Elizabeth scolded.

"He was a jerk! He was picking on Harper. I had to do something."

Elizabeth sighed. "Please start from the beginning."

Harper spoke. "Bradley came over and started talking to me. At first he was nice. I think he thought I was his age. Once he found out whose class I'm in, his friends and he changed. All of the sudden I was a baby and…." Harper stopped talking, her head down. Jack put his hand on her back and rubbed up and down.

"He took her book," Dylan continued. "Harper looked really upset so I stepped in and told him he was being a jerk and to give her book back. Then he shoved me and punched me."

Elizabeth looked at all three of them. "Harper, you're not in trouble. You didn't do anything wrong. Dylan, you felt the need to step in and that's admirable…."

"But…I'm in trouble," he finished. "Mom! I didn't hit him. I wasn't the one picking on Harper."

"Mom?" Jack asked. "You're….I mean, he's your son?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Dylan, I think I need to have a chat with Mr. Flynn and Bradley before anything else is decided."

"Ms. Thatcher?" Harper asked quietly.

"Yes, Harper."

"I'm really grateful that Dylan stepped in. If what I think means anything, Dylan wasn't at fault. He tried to help."

"Thank you, sweetie. I'll remember that. You can head back to class now. Have Ms. Blakely at the front desk give you a slip that says you're not tardy."

"Yes, ma'am." Harper and Jack stood.

"Have a good rest of the day, Honey Bee," Jack whispered, giving her a hug.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Do I need to stay?" Dylan asked her.

"No. I think you can go too." Dylan hurried out of the room to catch up with Harper.

That left Jack and Elizabeth alone. She was leaning back on her desk, arms crossed in front of her, staring at Jack.

Elizabeth was trying not to be obvious but she was finding it hard to ignore his presence in the room. The man was a hundred times more handsome than the last time she had seen him. The years had been extremely kind to him. Why couldn't he have a pot belly and missing teeth? That would help. Not only that, he wore his Fire Chief uniform very well, obviously working out regularly.

She resisted the urge to fan herself with a paper from her desk.

"You aren't required to stay, Mr. Thornton," she said, trying not to let her feelings betray her.

"Well, Ms. Thatcher, I appreciate that but don't you think we need to discuss some things? Catch up?"

"I don't really have time at the moment. I need to talk with Bradley and Mr. Flynn and make a decision on what to do."

"Coffee?"

"I'm sorry?"

"We could get coffee. After work?"

"I'm sorry. I don't think that would be wise."

"Why is that?"

"I have my reasons." She met his eyes and he saw hurt there. Maybe a bit of anger.

"Blue eyes," he said quietly, getting her attention. The way he did that, always had an effect on her.

"That was a long time ago."

"You still have them, those blue eyes the color of the sky."

"Mr. Thornton…"

"It's me, Elizabeth. Why do you have this wall up? We were best friends." And he'd loved her.

"As I said, it was a long time ago. Now, I really need to get back to work. Don't you, Chief?"

She let her breath out once he left the room. It had taken all her willpower not to get all the answers right then. "Blue eyes." He had given her that nickname when they first started hanging out. When he had said it today, she fought hard not to let him get to her.

Her heart wanted him still, after sixteen years. After separation that summer after graduation. After meeting Ray, marrying him, graduating college, having Dylan. After Ray's abuse and all that entailed. After a divorce? How could she still want Jack? A man she hadn't allowed herself to think about in years.

…

Jack thought about her the whole afternoon. Elizabeth Thatcher. At the age of 34, she still took his breath away. She had filled out, not quite as thin as in high school. Of course, neither was he.

She had a child, with a different last name than her, so that either meant she was divorced or she never married his father. Honestly the second option wasn't possible. She had stuck fast to saving herself for marriage for which he had a lot of admiration.

He didn't understand exactly why she wouldn't speak with him or look him in the eye. Or meet him for coffee. He assumed it was just the awkwardness of seeing each other again.

….

Elizabeth ran after work, hard. Almost as if she was running away from him, from the past. And yet, she craved the answers to why. She wanted to know and she was second guessing her quick denial of his coffee invitation.

As she ran back home, slower, she stopped at their spot on the beach. She turned to see the ocean and breathed and listened to the crashing waves. She was lost in its beauty she didn't hear someone approaching behind her.

"Elizabeth," he said quietly, not wanting to scare her.

She spun and looked at him. No uniform, just a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. His arm muscles bulging. Good heavens. "Hi."

"I've seen you run past here before. From my house. I wasn't sure who you were, just that you were beautiful and familiar. I didn't know you were here in town."

"Your house?"

"I bought my parents house. Harper and I needed a place and my parents moved to a condo. Perfect timing, I guess."

"Your wife? Is she here too?"

"No. Ex-wife. She lives back in Austin, as far as I know."

Jack took a seat and motioned for her to join him. She hesitated and then sat down, a good foot from him.

"What did you decide with regard to Bradley the jerk?"

"Jack," she scolded.

"I'm glad you said my name, finally."

"Bradley has been suspended for three days."

"Suspended? Not just detention, huh?"

"He has detention for two weeks after his suspension. Our school has a no fighting or bullying policy. He does it again, consequences are worse."

"And your son? Who, by the way, I'm very grateful for."

"He didn't strike anyone or initiate a fight, so at school, he is free and clear. At home he's grounded. He knows not to call anyone names and that action may have made Bradley hit him when he might not have before."

"Elizabeth, it's really good to see you. It's been a long time."

"Yes. It has." She stared at her hands, the feelings of hurt coming up into her eyes, threatening to spill over. "Why, Jack? You promised to write me and call but you didn't. Not one time. I thought we had something special."

"That's just it. You were special, Blue Eyes. I was an ordinary kid from the Cape. I was going to school in Texas. You had a free ride to Harvard. Your family had money, prestige. My family was blue collar, hidden in the background."

"So, our friendship? Meant nothing? Because we had different families and goals, you just made the decision to drop me?"

"Of course you meant something. You meant a lot to me. But you needed someone better. Someone who could give you what you deserved."

She got up and brushed the sand off herself. "Yes, well, I certainly got that. I need to get back to Dylan."

Jack stood too. "Blue eyes."

"Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth, please. We need to sort this out."

"Why? Why are all the men in my life insisting that they make decisions for me? I'm a strong woman! It wasn't fair for you to make that decision for the both of us. Now we will never know what could have been."

She wiped her cheeks and jogged off, leaving Jack with questions of his own.

…..

The next few days passed by and even though Jack and Elizabeth didn't see each other, there was no escaping the other in their minds. Jack kept replaying the conversation over and over again. What did she mean by "what could have been"? Had she had feelings for him back then too? Had he actually had a chance? The thought burned a hole through his stomach.

As he sat in his office Friday afternoon, he pictured how she looked that day on the beach during her run. She was beyond beautiful. The curves of her long legs and gorgeous hips more pronounced in her black leggings. Even her slightly loose tee drove his imagination wild. He wanted to know her again. They had so much in common back then. Would they still? He did his best to shake it off. She wasn't his to be dreaming about.

He picked up his phone to text Pete Stanton, his old friend.

" _Up for a beer at my place after you close shop tonight?"_ He knew Pete now owned his own pizza place and would probably be working Fridays, but he needed to talk to someone.

" _Sure. Can't get there till about 9:30 or 10 though. Too late?"_

" _Nope. See you then."_

…..

"Well, that was a weird class." Dylan commented as he and Harper left the music room and headed back to Mrs. Sullivan's. "What do you think of Mrs. Coulter?"

"She seems nice. I think she had too much coffee this morning but other than that she seems alright."

"I think you're right about the coffee. No one should be that dramatic." They laughed. "So what instrument are you gonna pick?"

"I don't know. My dad plays guitar but that's not really an orchestra instrument. My mom played the flute."

"You could go with the flute then."

"No. I don't want to do anything my mom did."

"Oookay." Dylan scratched his head. Seemed like Harper's feelings toward her mother were close to his for his dad. "My mom played the cello. She said it helped her when she learned guitar too. You could try that."

"The cello… I like it. What about you?"

"Me? I'm going with the drums!" Dylan stated proudly,

"Oh yeah? My uncle Tom plays the drums in a band."

"Does he get all the girls?" Dylan grinned.

"Dad says before he met my Aunt Faith, he had a lot of girl friends."

"Nice. Yeah, totally doing the drums!"

"You're such a dork," Harper laughed.

"But I'll be a cool dork!"

"Hardly. Its orchestra, not rock band." She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but it's a start."

They took their seats back in the classroom for social studies. After going over the homework from the night before, Mrs. Sullivan introduced their first project of the year. It sounded interesting enough. They were to pair up and pick a country from the list on the chalkboard to research and then design a presentation to share with the class and their families for open house in a couple weeks.

Harper cringed at the thought of needing a partner. She and Dylan had become fast friends, but he was also friends with another kid, Cody. Cody was nice. He didn't seem phased at all to have Harper hanging around them. They made a good trio. But Mrs. Sullivan wasn't looking for that now. When it came to this project, she just figured Dylan and Cody would want to work together, and she'd be the odd one out.

As the teacher began showing examples of what their visual displays could be for the presentation, Dylan turned back in his seat to face Harper.

"You wanna work together?" he whispered.

She smiled and nodded. Soon Mrs. Sullivan told them to find a partner and to discuss what country they wanted to study. Dylan spun around in his chair to face Harper.

"So, what country should we do?" Harper asked

"I don't know. Spain maybe? Or Italy?"

"I was wondering about Greece. My dad's always wanted to go. He's even learned how to make Greek food. It's really, really good."

"You had me at food!" Harper laughed. "My mom loves Greek food. There was a restaurant not far from our house in DC. She'd get food from there whenever Dad was gone."

"He didn't like the food?" Dylan tried to figure out how to respond. The long pause and the look on his face made it clear the answer wasn't simple. "Forget I asked. It's okay."

Dylan made eye contact again. "It's fine. I guess you could say he just liked to tell mom what to do. He'd be real stupid about it too. If she liked something, he'd tell her not to do it just to be mean."

"Why would he do that?" Harper asked, appalled at the thought.

"Mom says he was mad about stuff in his life and at work and he took it out on her."

"And you?"

He shook his head. "Me he just ignored. I got off easy."

Harper heard a faint sniffle from her friend and decided to change the subject. "Greece it is."

….

Elizabeth was in her office packing up for the weekend. The last bell of the day had rang a few minutes before so Dylan would be meeting her soon. She gathered up the last of her things and walked out into the main office to wait. As she did, she saw Dylan and Harper through the large glass windows that looked into the main hallway. She was glad Dylan was making friends, but did it have to be with Jack Thornton's little girl? How could she escape him now?

Dylan waved goodbye and walked into the office. "Hi, Mom."

"Hi, sweetie. How was your day?"

"Great. I'm gonna be a drummer."

"Excuse me?"

"We had music today. Mrs. Coulter showed us all the instruments and told us to pick one."

"And you picked the drums?"

"Yup!"

Elizabeth laughed. "Alright. Drums for you, earplugs for me."

"Awesome! Hey, are we doing movie night tonight?"

"Well, it's Friday. What would you like to watch?"

"Star Wars."

"Again?" she sighed. "Which one?"

"Return of the Jedi."

"Alright, but would it kill you to pick a different genre once in a while?" she teased.

"Hey, if you wanted to watch chick movies you should have had a girl," he teased back.

Elizabeth loved her son completely. She'd watch a million Star Wars movies with him. Ever since they moved to Hyannis he was becoming more and more his own person. It was a blessing to see. Elizabeth hoped the move into the cottage this weekend would help her as well. Make her feel less under her parents thumb and on her own. Not that she didn't appreciate their support.

"Oh," Dylan said as they walked through the parking lot towards their car. "I have a project for social studies now. It's on Greece. Harper and I have to study it and come up with a presentation for open house."

Elizabeth almost dropped the stuff she was carrying. "You and Harper?"

"Yeah. She's my partner."

" _Great…"_ she thought.

….

Pete arrived at Jack's just before 10 that night. Jack was upstairs checking on Harper when Pete arrived. Jack gently took Black Beauty out of her hands, placed her bookmark in its place and left the book on the bedside table.

"Good night, Honey Bee. I love you." He kissed her forehead and headed down. Pete was already in the kitchen grabbing himself a drink. "Don't you knock?" Jack teased.

"When I was in high school I never did. Why start now?"

"Fair enough. Grab me a cold one while you're in there." Pete opened the beer and handed it to Jack. "How much time do you have? Up for a fire in the pit out front?"

"I've got plenty of time. Clara's already asleep at the house."

"Really? Night Owl's asleep already?" Jack teased. Clara was always the one of their group that could stay up straight through the night at lock-ins and on road trips. It was unbelievable.

"Yeah well she's kind of an incubator right now so she's tired a lot."

"She's what?" Jack asked, hoping that meant what he thought it meant.

Pete grinned from ear to ear. "We're pregnant! Finally!"

"Congrats, man!" Jack gave his friend a big bear hug.

Pete and Clara were two years younger than Jack and Elizabeth. They got married not long after college. They decided to take the first few years of marriage and enjoy it just the two of them. When it came time to start their family, it was a bumpy road of infertility. Finally, it was their turn.

"I tell you what, that IVF is no joke. Turns out, we're having twins!"

"Even better! Oh man, Clara must be thrilled!"

"She is, but also very emotional. Everything makes her cry. Anyway, enough about me. What's going on with you?"

Jack took a sip of his beer, "I saw Blue Eyes."

Pete sighed. "I figured that would happen sooner or later. How'd it go?"

"Not good. She's mad at me. I never wrote her after graduation."

"Never?"

"Nope."

"Wow. How come?"

Jack threw his head back. "I was in love with her, but she was so far out of my league. What chance did I have, you know?"

"Seriously? Jack, that girl was crazy about you!"

"Well, I didn't know that!" Jack raised his voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell."

"It's all good."

"She said I blew it. I made a decision for both of us and now we'd never know what we could have been."

"Huh. Whatcha gonna do about it?"

"What can I do? I think she hates me now."

Pete shook his head. "You don't know that. Maybe you just need to apologize."

"She ran away from me, Pete. Literally. What am I supposed to do? Write her a note like I would have in high school?" Jack laughed and took a sip of his drink. "Wait, would that work?"

"It could." Pete shrugged. "She's moving into the Johnson's old cottage this weekend. You could always drop it off there."

Jack stared at the fire, trying to think about what he would say to her in a letter. As silly as the idea had seemed at first, he thought it might be his best chance.

"Her son's in Harper's class. They're friends."

"You're kidding?" Pete laughed. "Well, what do you know? Looks like you're stuck together one way or another."

"I guess so." Jack smiled, liking that thought. "Pete do you know, is she… divorced? Widowed?"

"Divorced, and let me tell you, if that guy ever sets foot in Hyannis, he will regret it."

"That bad?" Jack's heart broke at the thought.

"He never physically hurt her or her son that I know of, but Clara said he was still abusive. It was just all emotional, mental. Not that it matters. Abuse is abuse."

Jack felt himself fume with anger. How could anyone treat another person, especially their wife like that? It was deplorable.

"Pete, I want my friend back."

"It may not be easy," Pete warned.

"I know, but I'm a patient man."


	5. Chapter 5

Elizabeth and Vi packed the last of the dishes and glasses in the kitchen while Dylan and Cooper tackled his room. They had most everything done, but it still felt like a lot.

"How's Dylan liking school?" Vi wondered.

"He seems to like it."

"That's good. Coop is liking it too."

"Mom!"

"Dylan." She turned as he came in the room.

"I forgot to ask. Can Harper come over? We need to work on our project."

"Who's Harper?" Vi asked.

"Harper Thornton, Aunt Vi. She's my friend and my partner in our social studies project."

"Oh, I see. Thornton, huh?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"When?" Elizabeth asked him, steering the conversation away from where Vi was taking it.

"Today."

"Dylan, I don't know. We're moving."

"I can ask if we can study at her house."

"No. I'd rather you didn't." She knew he needed to work on the project and what would it hurt if they did it today or the next? "Ok. Harper can come over."

"Thanks, Mom."

Vi raised her eyebrow at Elizabeth. "Harper any relation to your beloved Jack?"

"My former best friend, Jack, is her father, yes."

"Have you talked with him? How does he look?"

"Vi, I don't see why that matters. He moved away sixteen years ago and never kept in touch."

"Maybe he has a reason."

"Yes and it's not a reason, it's an excuse."

"He isn't Ray. He's not going to treat you badly."

"You don't know that. It's been so long and I don't know him anymore, Vi. He could be a completely different person."

"In all fairness, you are a completely different person, Beth. Wouldn't it make sense that he changed a bit too?"

"I'm going to take this box down to the car." She didn't want to talk about him anymore. The infuriating, frustrating, adorable, sexy man who had stolen her heart along time before. It hurt too much.

….

Three hours and three car trips later, Dylan and Elizabeth were officially moved in to their cottage.

As much as help from Vi and Grace was needed, she wanted everything in the spot she chose. It was all about controlling her own life and not allowing anyone else to control it for her.

"Mom, can I get a dog?"

"Maybe. I need to check my rental agreement to see if pets are allowed first."

"Ok. I want a big dog. Like a golden retriever and I want to name him Jedi."

"Of course you do," she said with a laugh.

Outside, Jack was dropping off Harper. "Just give me a call when you're ready to come home, Honey Bee."

"I will. You know, it would be easier if I had my own cell phone. I could just text you."

"Nice try. Just ask Ms. Thatcher to borrow hers."

"Had to try," she said with a grin.

Jack pulled an envelope from the visor and handed it to her. "Can you give this to Ms. Thatcher please?"

"Sure. Bye, Dad."

"Bye, sweetie."

When the doorbell rang, Elizabeth opened the door. "Hi, Harper. Come in. Ignore the boxes."

"Don't worry, I know all about moving."

"Would you like a soda or some water?"

"Soda, please."

Elizabeth handed her a coke and pointed towards the dining room. "Dylan's in there if you want to head in."

"Thank you, Ms. Thatcher." She started to walk away but turned back. "I almost forgot. This is for you."

"What is it?"

"Not sure. It's from my dad."

Elizabeth watched her walk away and stared at the envelope a moment before setting it on the counter and resuming the unpacking process.

A note or letter from Jack. What could it possibly say that he hadn't already told her on the beach? "Later," she muttered. She would read it later.

After a couple hours of work, Harper came in the living room which was taking shape nicely. "Ms. Thatcher?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"May I use your phone? We're done for today so I'm going to call my dad."

"Sure. It's on the counter in the kitchen."

Elizabeth heard Harper speaking. "I'm ready to come home, Dad…..Yes, I gave it to her….I don't know…can you please ask her?"

Elizabeth shook her head. Having his eleven year old daughter doing his dirty work. It did make her more curious what was in the envelope though.

"He will be here soon," Harper told her.

A few minutes later Jack arrived.

"Thank you for letting me come over."

"You're welcome, sweetie. I'll see you Monday at school, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Elizabeth opened the door for her and then closed it behind her, avoiding eye contact with Jack.

She walked into the kitchen and picked up the letter, took a deep breath, and opened it.

"Mom! What's for dinner? I'm starved!"

"Anything but pizza."

"Can we go to that diner in town?"

"Sure, bud. Give me a couple minutes to change and we will go." She took the envelope with her into her room and sat on her bed which still needed sheets. When she started to read, she prepared herself.

 _Dear Blue Eyes,_

 _It's been forever since I've written you a note. That's the problem now, isn't it? I failed you. I broke my promise to you years ago. Saying I'm sorry right now will mean little without explanation, at this point. So here it goes._

 _When I got to UT, I missed you fiercely. My best friend wasn't with me anymore. I thought about writing or calling you every single day. Problem was, I knew if I did, I'd soon have to tell you how I really felt about you, about us. I should have told you before graduation, but I couldn't. You were amazing, the whole world at your fingertips, what did I have to offer you? I didn't want to hold you back. I had no idea if your father would even approve of me. Then, and this was what held me back the most, I couldn't imagine someone as wonderful as you feeling the same way I did. The idea of facing that kind of heartbreak paralyzed me._

 _About 2 months into my first semester, I realized how completely idiotic I was being. I wanted to know if we could really be something. I didn't want to be without you. I made a plan to tell you everything when I came home for Christmas, to ask you to give me a chance. I just wanted to do it in person. Unfortunately, by then I was too late. You'd met someone and brought him home with you. Looking back, maybe I should have fought for you. Told you everything still. I don't know. I went back to UT, the next year I met Ashley, and that was that._

 _I guess all that's left to say now is, I'm sorry. I'm very sorry. You were right. I made a decision that had to do with both our lives and I never gave you a chance to have your say. You deserved better than that. I know we can't go back now, a lot of life has happened, but if you are willing, I'd like to try to be your friend again. I miss you, Elizabeth. I promise if given another chance, I won't hurt you again._

 _Your friend,_

 _Jack_

His letter brought so many memories back to her heart. The fact that he had thought he had nothing to offer her was eye opening. She didn't need anything but his heart. She would have been content with that if it meant they could have been together.

Yes, she had brought Ray home that Christmas. They had only been together a short while and he had insisted on meeting her family. She had imagined that she was falling for him. In reality, it was his charisma and charm that she fell for. Not his heart. Jack was who she wanted all along, but her anger kept her from remembering that.

"Mom! Are you ready?"

"Almost!" She dropped the letter on the bed to read again later and hurried to get ready for dinner.

…

The next afternoon, Elizabeth needed to see Jack. She needed to know more. So using the number in her phone from when Harper called him, she texted, "Busy? This is Elizabeth."

"Not busy. What's up?"

"Meet me the beach. 10 minutes?"

"I'll b there." Jack didn't need to ask where on the beach. He knew.

"Harper? I'm going to the beach for a few moments. Use the house phone to call me if you need to. I won't be long."

"Ok." Her distant tone suggested she was deeply engrossed in her book. More than likely she wouldn't even notice he was gone.

When he arrived at their spot, she was there pacing. When she saw him, she held up the letter. "This, Jack? Did you mean these things?"

"Every single word," he answered honestly.

"Ok, then…" she let out a deep sigh. As scared as she was to let him in, she needed a friend. She knew that. "Don't you try anything. We can be friends. That's all I can offer you, Jack."

"Alright."

"Promise me."

"I promise."

She nodded and covered her mouth, trying not to cry.

"Blue Eyes, don't cry," he told her, reaching for her hands. "Come here."

She hesitated and then walked into his arms and let him hold her. "I missed you," she whispered. "So much."

"I'm sorry for everything and I do promise I will never abandon you again."

She held on tight for a moment longer before letting go. "I'm sorry. I've been a little emotional lately."

"That's alright. Come here and let's sit." They sat down in the sand side by side. "You know, I forgot how beautiful it is here."

"I didn't. This has been my favorite place for years. Even when I was in Harvard. I used to close my eyes and imagine being back here. It got me through a lot of hard times."

"Is that what brought you back home to the Cape? Hard times?"

She dug her feet deeper into the sand. "You could say that."

"Elizabeth, we're friends remember? At least that's what we're working at now. Tell me."

She wanted to tell him. Even though she had Vi, and Julie, who lived in Pennsylvania now to talk to, it wasn't the same as an honest to goodness friend. Tricky thing was, once the words were out, she couldn't take them back. The last thing she wanted was to feel vulnerable again. That's how she felt any time she discussed her past.

"It's hard, huh?" Jack spoke interrupting her thoughts. "What if I share first?"

"Alright. What brought Jack Thornton back to Hyannis?"

Jack leaned back on his forearms staring out into the ocean. "It's so cliché really, but here it goes. I met Ashley my second year at UT. She was an interior design major. We seemed to hit it off right off the bat. I got a job right out of school for the Austin City Fire Department so we got married and stuck around there. The city was great for her work. Problem was, she liked the storybook idea of being married to a firefighter more than the reality."

"What do you mean?"

"I worked odd hours, and some holidays. Disaster doesn't strike on a 9 to 5 schedule."

"No, I suppose it doesn't."

"I didn't always want to talk about what happened at work. We see some pretty scary, messed up stuff you know? She didn't get it. I'd come home and I'd just want to shower and take a few minutes to myself. To her, I was being unfair. She'd waited for me to come home all day.

"About 6 months before everything hit the fan, we lost someone on the team. His name was Drake Lawhorn. Good guy, tough firefighter. We were in the same year at UT too."

"I'm so sorry, Jack. That must have been devastating."

He nodded. "We were called into an old building. It came down so fast. We got him out, but he died later at the hospital due to his injuries. Ashley wanted me to quit."

"But being a firefighter was your dream."

"It was. It still is. Ashley and I talked about it. She told me she understood. We were down a man at the station. No one was ready to just replace him so we each took extra shifts for a while. There was also a promotion I had been working hard for." Jack closed his eyes tight, fighting the memories. "The same day I got the promotion, I found out Ashley was seeing someone else, a guy from the station too. I came home early to surprise her and found them."

"Oh, my goodness! Where was Harper?"

"At a friend's house, thankfully," Jack sighed. "I tried to keep us together as a family but Ashley didn't want that. She didn't really want Troy either. She's with someone else now, last I heard."

"Wow. Just… wow."

"Yeah. Well enough about my train wreck. Your turn."

"Alright." She brushed the sand off her hands before folding them around her knees as she sat. Now that Jack had opened himself up like that, she felt no reason or fear to hide anymore. "You know that guy I brought home that fateful Christmas break you talked about in your letter? Well, I married him my junior year of college. He turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing."

Jack expelled a harsh breath. "What happened?"

"To put it lightly, he was a control freak. It was annoying at times but it just got worse and worse as the years went on. He wanted to dictate everything. What I wore, where I went grocery shopping, where Dylan went to school, where we spent holidays. I didn't have a say in anything. If I did, it was me giving him two options and having him pick. Even that wasn't really a say because I had to pick options he'd like to try to keep the peace." She let out a harsh laugh. "He even hired a cook because he hated my cooking."

"That's crazy! You're an awesome cook."

"How would you know?" she laughed.

"Remember our monthly pizza nights with our friends? The tradition we started after my dad built the outdoor pizza oven in the backyard? You'd make the best side dishes for it. Don't even get me started on your desserts."

"I almost forgot about that. I loved cooking for everyone back then."

"You were amazing. Maybe we need to jump start that tradition again. Pete and Clara are still here. It could be fun."

"Thanks," she felt herself blushing. "But I'm not sure I could cook like that again." Her eyes drifted back to the sand.

Jack could tell there was more to the story. He hoped it would be therapeutic if she got it all out. "So what happened next?"

"Ray was a lawyer and one day he lost a very important case, then his job. After that he started drinking a lot. That's when things got really ugly."

"Did he hurt you?"

"Physically no. Not really. His words were his weapons when it came to me. I was not good enough for anything. He'd say I let myself go and wasn't attractive anymore, but then would tell me which clothes to wear because he didn't like how other men would look at me. I wasn't a good mom, I was stupid, and if a cried over it he'd get mad and tell me I was being too sensitive. That man could tear me down with a single sentence, and I let him for far too long."

"What about Dylan?"

"Ray was never a stellar father. When things got bad, he pretty much ignored our son's existence. The last night we were all together he came home drunk and saw Dylan and I laughing, playing a board game. It infuriated him that we could be happy when he wasn't. I was just trying to give Dylan a normal night." She stopped just as the tears began spilling over. Jack placed his hand on her back. "He started throwing and smashing things around the house. I sent Dylan to the neighbor's. I didn't know what was coming but I didn't want him to see it. He told them what was going on because the guy next door came running over with a bat in his hands. When he showed up, Ray was yelling at me, holding my arm so tightly I had bruises the next day."

"So you got out that night?"

She nodded. "Dylan never stepped foot back into our home again. He couldn't do it. After the police came and took Ray, I ran through grabbing only enough to fill a couple suitcases and we came here for a bit. We didn't move right away through. I stayed in DC during the separation and divorce hearings. Which Ray dragged out for a year. Mind you, he never really got much better during that time. He just couldn't except that it was over. "

Jack wiped his own eyes. His heart felt like it was now in a million pieces in the sand. "You're a brave woman, Blue Eyes. Strong and beautiful." The words needed to be said.

She just shrugged, unable to accept his kind words. "I got one amazing thing out of it all though. My son. Dylan is my greatest blessing."

"He's a great kid. You should be very proud. I know Harper's really enjoying his friendship."

"Dylan feels the same way about her. She is a wonderful girl, Jack."

"Thanks. How's Dylan holding up with the divorce now?"

"It's been hard, but I think he's been happier here than he ever was back in DC."

"Does he still see his father?"

"Not really. I'd take him to see Ray while he was living at his parent's, supposedly trying to get his life back on track. Practically had to drag Dylan, but at the time I thought it was important that Ray know his son. Maybe it would give him the strength to get better. Not for my sake, but his own." Jack nodded that he understood. "The last time we went, Ray was drunk again and said some things he sshouln't have to Dylan. So that was it. Dylan doesn't need that in his life."

"Wow. What a…." he sighed. "I'm so very sorry."

"Me too."

Jack could see her retreating into herself. He wrapped his arm around her in a friendly embrace. "But it's over now. You and Dylan have a fresh start here. You've got the cottage now."

"And friends," she whispered. "I feel like I haven't had real friends in years."

"I meant what I said, Blue Eyes. I'm not going anywhere."

They stared out at the ocean for a while, taking in all they'd heard and the changes that were happening.

"Hey, did you hear Clara and Pete are pregnant?"

"Yes!" Elizabeth squealed. "I'm so happy for them."

"I like being here again. Life was good back then. I know we can't go back but maybe, I don't know, maybe getting back to our roots will be good."

"Guitars, fires and friends. That was all we needed back then."

"I wouldn't mind some of that now. You still have your guitar?"

"I do, but I haven't played it in ages. I ended up storing at my parent's house for year. I was kind of afraid Ray would just get rid of it."

"You should play again. We can even play together."

"I think... I'd like that."

His phone rang in his back pocket. "It's Harper." He answered. "Sweetie, you alright?"

"Where'd you go?"

"Just out for a walk, why?"

"Because it's almost dinner time and I'm not allowed to use the stove unsupervised. So if you want dinner…"

"Oh wow, I lost track of time. Sorry, Honey Bee. I'll be right up." He hung up. "Parental responsibilities await. Where's Dylan?"

"Spending the afternoon with my sister and her son. I should go too. I'm supposed to met them for dinner at my parent's." They both stood and began walking.

"Which sister? Julie or Vi?"

"Vi. Julie lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and 3 kids."

"Oh really?" Jack laughed. "So the wild child made some roots, huh?"

"Oh, yeah! Love will do that. She met this ridiculously adorable shy man named Mike Hickam in college. She fell in love instantly and the rest is history. I'm happy for her. At least one of us could find real love."

"Only one? What about Vi?"

"Divorced. Her husband just up and left one day. She's okay though. She's got Cooper and has made a real life here."

"You are too."

"Thanks."

They said goodbye at the road and began to walk their separate ways. Elizabeth turned back to see Jack running up the hill towards his house just as Harper was coming outside. She didn't see Elizabeth.

"I've made a decision," Harper said. "You're late and we need to go grocery shopping."

"So, pizza?" Jack laughed.

"Yup!"

"Alright, but we need to hit the market on the way home. Deal?"

"Can we buy cookie dough ice cream?"

"Sure."

"Awesome!"

Elizabeth laughed. she could hear the whole conversation from down the hill. She arrived at her parents house only 15 minutes later than planned. Dylan greeted her at the door telling her all about his day.

"Good evening, dear!" Grace hurried over to give her a hug. "How are things at the cottage?"

"Great. I made some real progress today."

"Wonderful." Grace stared at her daughter with a smile. "You seem… lighter right now. As if less of the world's weight isn't resting on your shoulders."

She thought for a moment. "You know, I think I'm getting there. Finally."


	6. Chapter 6

A few days later…

"Dad, can Dylan come over to work on our project? We're almost done with it."

"Tonight?"

"Yeah, after school."

"Let me ask Ms. Thatcher if it's ok. If it is, that will be fine."

"Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome, Honey Bee. Now go get ready for school. We leave in ten."

Jack watched her leave the room as he pulled out his phone. He couldn't help the smile on his face. Instead of texting, he wanted to hear her voice so he dialed her number.

"Morning, Jack."

"Morning, Blue Eyes. I have a quick question for you."

"Go ahead."

"Harper wants Dylan to come over after school to work on their project. Would that be okay with you?"

"Yes, that would help a lot. I have two meetings right after school, so this way I won't need to ask my parents. Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all. In fact, when you pick him up, you might as well both stay for dinner. Its spaghetti and meatball night."

"You cook?"

"I dabble. What do you say?"

"Sounds good. Can't pass up a home cooked meal."

"Great. See you then."

…..

That afternoon Dylan watched Mr. Thornton rush around and clean the living room and kitchen.

"Harp, can you put your shoes in your room, please?"

"It's easier if they are by the door, Dad."

"You don't need four pairs by the door. Move three please."

Harper rolled her eyes and left the dining room and their project to obey.

When she came back, Jack kissed the top of her head. "Thank you, sweetie."

"You're welcome."

"Is your dad always like that?" Dylan asked her.

"What, annoying?"

"No. Nice to you?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Dylan wished he knew what that was like. His mom was nice but his dad never had been. He wondered what would happen when he needed a man to talk to. He couldn't talk to his mom about girls. He had his Grandpa, but it wasn't the same.

"You're lucky," Dylan told her.

"So are you, Dylan." As much as he wanted a dad, she wished for a mother who cared. She had her Nana, but a mom to hold her when she was sad or talk to when she was confused would be nice. She couldn't talk to her dad about bras and boys.

Before they knew it, Elizabeth knocked on the door and it was time for dinner.

The kids were quiet as they started eating.

"Jack, this so good. Where did you learn to cook like this?" Elizabeth wondered.

"At the station in Austin. Between calls, sometimes in the middle of the night, we didn't have much else to do. So we cooked."

"Dylan, how was school, sweetie?" she asked.

"Ok," he said with a shrug, pushing his food around on his plate.

"What's wrong, bud?" Jack asked. "You don't like spaghetti and meatballs?"

"It's good, Mr. Thornton." He gave him a smile and took a bite.

"Well, how was your day, Harp?" Jack asked her.

"Good," she said, putting a bite in her mouth.

"You hear back about the soccer team?" Harper had decided to give the tryouts a go. The season would be short, but maybe she'd make a few friends.

She responded without looking up. "Not yet."

Jack raised his eyebrows at Elizabeth. She shrugged back at him.

"Did you get your project done?" Elizabeth asked.

"No. Almost," Dylan responded. "We need to turn it in Thursday before the open house."

"That's right! That night you get to present it to us right?"

"Yup."

Jack noticed Elizabeth had finished her water. "Would you like more?" he asked, gesturing to her glass.

"Yes, I can get it though."

"No need," he said, grabbing her glass and taking it away before she could.

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

"You're welcome."

Dylan was so amazed. Mr. Thornton was nice to everyone. His dad would have never made dinner, talked to anyone while they ate, or gotten his mom water when she ran out.

"Is this what a family is supposed to be like?" Dylan asked. All three of them looked at him.

"What do you mean, hon?" Elizabeth asked.

"I mean, Mr. Thornton is so nice to us and Harper. He's not mean like Dad."

Elizabeth didn't know what to say. Jack waited a minute, to see if she was going to answer. He saw tears in her eyes so he decided to answer him.

"Well, Dylan. Every family is different. You have your mom. Harper has me. Not everyone has both parents, and some kids don't have any. In my house though, I always want people to feel welcome. I want you and your mom and Harper to feel safe and to know that no one is going to hurt you."

"But we don't live here. It's just me and Mom at our house."

"When you are here is what I mean."

"Its not fair," Dylan said, his own eyes filling with tears. "Why can't I have a dad who loves me?"

Elizabeth got up and knelt by Dylan's chair. "Oh, baby. I'm so sorry. Even though you don't have a dad around, you have Grandpa. You can always talk to him. About anything."

"Its not the same, Mom. Can we go home?"

She knew he was embarrassed about crying in front of Jack and Harper so she agreed. "Tell Mr. Thornton thank you for letting you come over and then get your bag."

He gave Harper a fist bump and then he did the same to Jack.

"Thanks, Mr. Thornton. The food was good."

"I'm glad you liked it. And just so you know, I'm here if you need to talk too. I know we don't know each other well yet, but I'll listen, no matter what."

"Thank you."

….

Later, after Jack had said goodnight to Harper, he decided to text Elizabeth.

"Hey."

"Hi," she responded quickly.

"Is Dylan ok?"

She dialed his number instead of texting. "Sorry, I'd rather just tell you. He's ok now. What you told him really helped."

"That's good. I'm glad."

"Thank you, Jack."

"You're welcome. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. It was hard to see him upset over his dad. He doesn't usually cry over him."

Jack looked up and saw Harper walking in the room. "Honey Bee? Why are you up?"

"I need you."

"Can I call you back?"

"Sure, Jack."

Jack put his phone down and opened his arms. She climbed onto his lap and snuggled into his arms. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Dylan told me I'm lucky."

"Oh yeah?"

"Because I have you."

"Ah. It was probably hard to see him like that, wasn't it?"

"He was saying exactly what I wanted to, except about Mom."

"Your mom loves you, sweetheart. She just doesn't know how to show it."

"It's not fair."

"No, it's not."

"What happens when I need Mom? She won't be here. She's never here."

"If you don't feel like you can talk to me, you can talk to Nana or Ms. Thatcher." He felt her relax against him so he held her closer and ran his fingers through her hair. "I love you so much, Harp."

"I know. I love you too, Daddy."

….

Thursday afternoon came and both Dylan and Harper were pretty proud of the project they'd completed. That morning when he got to school, Dylan dropped the large display board off in the classroom and went to the library to find Harper. They'd made a habit of meeting each morning at one of the tables in the back corner before school. At first it was to work on the project, now it was just because.

This morning when he got there, she wasn't there. He sat down at one of the small tables and pulled out his book.

"Hey!" Harper whispered loudly.

"What's up?"

"I made the soccer team. First string!"

"That's awesome!"

"Yeah. It's not as serious as the 7th and 8th graders. We only practice Monday, Wednesdays and Thursdays, but still!"

"Did you tell your dad?"

"No I just found out. You're the first to know." Harper took her seat across from Dylan. "You ready for our presentation today?"

"I think so. I'm more nervous about tonight."

"The open house?"

"Yeah. We have to present the project to our parents remember?"

"Right, but our parents were there when we made the thing. I think it will be fine."

"You're probably right." Dylan knew deep down his mom would be proud of him no matter what. Unfortunately he had memories of his dad coming to his school and looking over his stuff. He'd always tell him why it wasn't right. Nothing ever seemed good enough for him. "My grandparents are coming too."

"So are mine. I'm not sure why though."

"Beats me."

The first bell rang throughout the otherwise quiet library. They gathered their things and headed to class.

….

That evening, Elizabeth stood in front of her tall standing mirror. She looked very professional in her grey blue skirt, matching jacket and cream blouse. She tried to see herself for how she truly looked and not through her ex's eyes, but after years of his cruel remarks, it was hard to see anything else. She was getting better though. So much progress had been made in last 6 months. Progress she intended to continue with.

She grabbed her phone off the bed and took a picture to send her sister.

" _How do I look?"_

Less than a minute later, her phone dinged with a response.

" _Looking good, Blue Eyes!"_

"What?!" she gasped. "Oh, crap. No, no, no." How she managed to text Jack instead of her sister she had no idea. Instead of typing a response, she called him.

"Hello?"

"Hi. Sorry, I didn't mean to send that picture to you. It was supposed to be for my sister."

Jack laughed. "I figured, but it's okay. You look really nice."

"You think? Professional but also motherly? I'm playing both roles tonight."

Jack wanted to add "and hot", but thought she may not appreciate it given the promise she made him make to be just friends.

"Yes. I think it's perfect for tonight."

"Mom! Grandma and Grandpa are here," Dylan yelled from downstairs.

"Jack, I have to go. See you in a bit?"

"See you soon!"

Hanging up, she hurried down the stairs. Her parents were standing in the living room with Dylan.

"Hello, sweetie! Don't you look lovely," Grace said giving her a hug. "Is this new?"

"Yes, I wasn't sure if it was me or not."

"Well, I think you look beautiful, dear." William gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Shall we go?"

"Yes. Dylan, grab your jacket, please."

"I don't need one."

"Dylan Christopher. Jacket please."

"Yes, ma'am."

…..

Jack walked into the busy school with Harper and his parents a bit later.

"Now this brings back memories," Tom laughed. "Who would have thought we'd be coming back here as grandparents? It's nice, isn't it Char?"

"It is. So, Harper, what do you want to show us first?"

"Dylan and I need to show you and his mom our project presentation. Then we can go look at the music room or maybe the art wing. We get our instruments tonight!"

"Sounds great!" Jack said.

Charlotte leaned in towards her son as they walked. "Who's Dylan?"

"A kid in her class. They were paired up for the social studies project."

"Oh, okay."

"He's cool, Nana. His mom's the new principal. Ms. Thatcher."

"Thatcher?" Charlotte stopped walking. "As in Elizabeth?"

Jack nodded.

"I heard your Blue Eyes was back. Have your seen her?"

"Blue Eyes?" Harper asked, suddenly very confused.

"That's what your dad use to call Elizabeth, I mean Ms. Thatcher when they were kids."

"Huh… did you two… date or something?"

"No, and I think now is a good time for you to show us to your classroom."

"Oookay." Harper dropped the topic and started talking to her grandparents about soccer. Jack was grateful. That was until they walked into the classroom. "Hey, Dylan!"

"Hey, Harper! Mr. Thornton."

"Hey, bud. How's it going?"

"Good."

"Mr. Thornton." Jack looked up at the familiar deep voice.

"Mr. Thatcher. Good to see you." Jack extended his hand, William only nodded. Jack turned his attention to Grace. "Mrs. Thatcher. Nice to see you, as well."

"Yes, nice to see you. I heard you were back in town. Who might this young lady be?" Grace smiled.

"This is my daughter Harper."

"Hi, ma'am."

"Well, welcome back to the Cape."

"Thank you, ma'am," Jack nodded.

Dylan and Harper both noticed the odd exchange and shrugged.

To attempt to break up some of the tension, Tom extended his hand past Jack to William. "William. Good to see you."

"You as well. Are you enjoying having your son and granddaughter closer?"

"Oh, very much." Tom wrapped his arm around Harper. "We feel truly blessed."

"Sorry, honey. I just had to stop in the office and… Jack. Hi."

"Hey," Jack waved awkwardly. The close proximity to both their parents left him uneasy. Elizabeth could see it in his eyes as well as the stiff demeanor of her father.

"Dad, you remember Jack and his parents."

"We do. We still go to church with the Thornton's."

"Oh, yes. That's right."

"So, should we show our project now?" Harper asked after a long awkward pause.

"Yes, please!" Jack and Elizabeth said together.

….

Jack carried Harper's cello out to the Jeep at the end of the open house. It had been two hours of following their kids around, listening to teachers and dodging glances from their parents while catching ones from one another.

Tom and Charlotte drove separately, so they said their goodbyes in the parking lot.

"You had to pick the largest instrument in the room, didn't you, Honey Bee?" Jack teased as he heaved the case into the trunk.

"It's not the largest." Harper argued. A bit of attitude in her young face. "Why do you have to be so dramatic?"

"What? I wasn't... " He shrugged it off and turned to his parents. "Thanks for coming, guys."

"Our pleasure, son." Charlotte looked over towards Harper. "What do think about Harper coming over and spending the night with us this weekend?"

"You sure?"

"Of course! We've missed her. We hardly saw her when you two were in Texas. This can be a complicated age for a young girl. I want her to be comfortable coming to us if she needs to. Lord knows she can't count on Ashley."

Jack thought about his conversation with Harper after dinner earlier that week. "Good idea, Mom. Thanks."

Dylan sat in the office with his grandparents and his new snare drum while Elizabeth talked with a few of the parents that wanted to meet her. Once she was done, she joined them.

"I think the night went well, don't you?" she asked Dylan as she smoothed his hair.

"Yeah. I guess." He looked back down at his music book.

"You know, I think this boy's going to need a full drum set before too long," William smiled.

"Yeah! Maybe in blue. No, black. No, red!"

William and Grace laughed with delight. Elizabeth looked panicked. "Let just see how you like this drum first."

"Aw, man," he whined.

"Why don't we head home? I have ice cream waiting."

"Okay." Dylan grabbed his drum case and began lugging it behind him. William caught up and helped him carry it the rest of the way.

A few steps behind, Grace took the opportunity to bring up something that had been on her mind all evening since they'd seen a certain someone.

"So Jack's moved back. I'm surprised you didn't mention anything."

"What's to mention? He's back. His daughter is friends with Dylan."

"And are you two friends again?"

"Grace." William shot her a look of warning. "Leave her be."

"I'm just asking."

"We had dinner together this week so the kids could work on their project."

"I see." Grace smiled. "How is Jack now?"

"Good. Divorced though."

"That's sad. What do you know about his ex?"

"Harper's mom treated her dad like crap," Dylan added.

"Dylan Christopher, you do not talk like that."

"Sorry, but it's true. Mr. Thornton's a good guy."

Elizabeth opened the trunk so her father could put the drum in. "Yes, he is. Okay, now say goodbye to your grandparents."

"Bye." He waved as he climbed into the car.

"See you guys Sunday for dinner?" Elizabeth asked hugging her parents.

"Yes. We're having pot roast."

"Yum! See you then."

"Elizabeth…" William called out just has she reached her door.

"Yes?"

"Be careful. I'm glad you have your friend back but…"

"Trust me, Dad. I'm not about to lose myself to anyone. Even Jack Thornton." It was true. She had her wits about her and that wouldn't change.

He smiled. "Good. I do trust you. It's just that you're my little girl. I want to protect you."

"I know, but I can take care of myself as well."

"You've proven that time and time again, my dear. Doesn't mean I stop trying to make it easier though."

The drive from the school to the Thornton family home was short. The whole time Jack's mind was fixed on the reaction he received from Elizabeth's parents. It was clear that they knew of the hurt he caused Elizabeth. He wondered if they blamed him for her marrying Ray. He had to admit, everyday since their talk he wondered what would have happened if he hadn't been too scared to just tell her how he felt. But if things were different, there would be no Harper. No Dylan. Those two were in this world for a reason and Jack knew for a fact that neither he nor Elizabeth would want that different.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah, Harp?"

"How close were you and Ms. Thatcher growing up?"

"We were friends. Good friends."

"But you didn't date her?"

"Uh, no." Jack laughed. His daughter had no idea how complicated of a question she just asked.

"Good. That would be so weird. Dylan's my friend you know?"

"I don't think it would be too bad. It's not like you're interested in the boy," Jack laughed. "Wait, are you? Because I think you're too young to date."

"Gross, Dad! Where do you come up with this stuff? All I said was he was my friend. He's like a brother. Besides all boys my age are just weird. Gross."

Jack laughed.

"Why are you laughing?"

"No reason. You're cute when you get angry."

Harper shot him a confused, albeit angry, look. "You might be the weirdest boy of all, Dad."

"Probably right, Honey Bee. Probably right."


	7. Chapter 7

The weekend came quickly, much to Jack's relief. His sweet little Harper seemed to be going through some sort of phase where everything he said was wrong. He couldn't win. He wasn't sure what it was, but a weekend with her grandparents, who she always treated with respect seemed like a great idea.

Charlotte decided to pick Harper up after school on Friday for a girl's night. They'd have the whole weekend together. Harper was genuinely excited about it. Jack was happy for Harper, but wasn't thrilled at the prospect of a weekend alone.

Instead of heading home Friday, he offered to take the night shift for Lee, one of his firemen so he could have the night off for his anniversary. He cooked dinner for his men and enjoyed getting the time to get to know those on that shift better in between calls.

Saturday morning Jack went to the grocery store before pulling his Jeep into the drive and sluggishly dragging his tired body inside and straight to bed. By noon, he was awake with the whole rest of the day ahead of him.

It was time to get productive. With his favorite playlist blasting, Jack tackled the remaining boxes that needed to be unpacked. The last thing he needed to do was find a place for his guitars. He had two. One was a beautiful dark wood acoustic, the other a classic electric with a dark cherry finish. The acoustic was his favorite. He took it out of the case and flipped it over. There on the bottom left were the initials ET. Elizabeth Thatcher. Jack let out a small chuckle as he remembered finding that years before. Elizabeth had done it secretly as a dare in high school. Probably from Clara. He didn't mind. It kept her close to him every time he played.

Seeing the old guitars gave him an idea. It had been years since he'd played. Today seemed like the right time to start. He filled up a thermos of hot coffee, grabbed some chocolate chip cookies and an old beach blanket from the hall closet. With his old acoustic in hand, he walked down to his favorite stop on the beach.

Jack walked along the beach for a bit till he found the spot he had in mind. It was out of the way, hidden almost, and sheltered from the wind.

Inside his case he found many sheets of music. Some dating back all the way to high school.

"Here goes nothing..."

A couple miles away Elizabeth stood on the back patio of the cottage looking out across the vast oceanscape. She felt so at peace here. More than she remembered feeling in a very long time.

The cottage was still and quiet that afternoon. After the emotional dinner at the Thornton's, Elizabeth thought it might do Dylan well to spend more time with a positive male figure. She'd called her father up and asked if he would be free that weekend. William was more than happy to spend time with Dylan.

Since William was not a man to do things small, he arranged for two tickets to a Boston's Red Sox game and showed up at the cottage to surprise the young boy with a jersey and new hat for the occasion. The look of pure joy on Dylan's face warmed Elizabeth's heart completely. He needed this. Now she was left with a whole day to herself and no obligation to fill the time with. Such a foreign concept for Elizabeth.

She looked up at the sky. Without a cloud in sight she decided to suit up for a run along the beach. She decided right away not to be concerned with calories burned or distance made, just to go out and enjoy her life.

Ten minutes into her run she stopped to examine her surroundings. She was on a very familiar part of the beach. Kneeling down in the sand, she looked up to the heaven and laughed.

"Thank you for bringing me home, Lord. After the years I've had, this is where I need to be. I'm me again. Well, getting there. I feel like I'm getting stronger with your help, and I know you're with me. Thank you for not leaving our side."

After her prayers, she sat still and listened to see if the Lord had something for her. It wasn't uncommon for her to hear nothing clear, but if she did, she would get a sense that she wasn't alone in this world. It gave her much comfort over the years of strife.

Much to her surprise this time, she did hear something. Or more like someone. In the distance was a faint sound of a guitar. It was beautiful, calming. She felt her heartbeat increase as she stood up and followed the noise.

"Of course it's you," she whispered with a smile as she saw Jack in the distance. He was singing an old Coldplay song, Clocks. It had been a favorite of his back in the day. It was one of her favorites to listen to. She crept up close unbeknownst to him as he played. His eyes closed as he strummed the strings.

When he finished the chorus for the last time, he leaned back in the sand and laughed. It left good to play again. So good.

"Woohoo!" A beautiful voice called out with applause. "Encore, encore!"

"Elizabeth," he grinned. "I didn't even see you."

"You still sound great, you know. All these years later."

"Thanks. To be honest, I don't remember the last time I've played. It felt good. Really good." She walked over and sat on the sand near him. "Any requests?"

"Hmm. Surprise me." A devilish grin took over his handsome face. "What are you thinking, Thornton?"

Without a word, he strummed a song he know she'd recognize right away. Norah Jones, Don't Know Why.

"Oh no no!" she laughed. "I don't sing anymore."

"Oh, come on! You won talent night with this one."

"True, but that was ages ago."

"So, I bet you still sound amazing." He continued to play. "I'll start." Then he started to sing...

" _I waited 'til I saw the sun_

 _I don't know why I didn't come_

 _I left you by the house of fun_

 _I don't know why I didn't come_

 _I don't know why I didn't come"_

"Come on Blue Eyes, don't leave me hanging," Jack smiled.

"Oh fine." She joined in for the rest of the song.

" _When I saw the break of day_

 _I wished that I could fly away_

 _Instead of kneeling in the sand_

 _Catching teardrops in my hand_

 _My heart is drenched in wine_

 _But you'll be on my mind_

 _Forever_

 _Out across the endless sea_

 _I would die in ecstasy_

 _But I'll be a bag of bones_

 _Driving down the road alone_

 _My heart is drenched in wine_

 _But you'll be on my mind_

 _Forever_

 _Something has to make you run_

 _I don't know why I didn't come_

 _I feel as empty as a drum_

 _I don't know why I didn't come_

 _I don't know why I didn't come"_

When the song ended. Jack sighed, he was blown away by her still. Her voice had a way of reaching deep down into his soul.

"I was right. Still beautiful."

"If you say so," she blushed. "Your turn. Sing me a song."

"Alright." He fished through his case for a sheet of chords he'd discovered earlier that evening. "This Elizabeth Thatcher, this oldie's for you."

"Crash and Burn," she whispered as he strummed the old Savage Garden song.

" _When you feel all alone_

 _And the world has turned its back on you_

 _Give me a moment please to tame your wild wild heart_

 _I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you_

 _It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold_

 _When darkness is upon your door and_

 _You feel like you can't take anymore_

 _Let me be the one you call_

 _If you jump I'll break your fall_

 _Lift you up and fly away with you into the night_

 _If you need to fall apart_

 _I can mend a broken heart_

 _If you need to crash then crash and burn_

 _You're not alone"_

Elizabeth felt a few tears form in the corners of her eyes. The song was old. From high school for sure. But she knew he'd picked it now for a reason. He carried guilt still for what happened to their friendship. But it wasn't all on him. She had played her part as well. Passively waiting when she should have told him instead. There was no rule that he had to be the one to make the first move. It was too late to regret it now. At least they were back in each others lives. Somehow, God brought them together again.

" _...Because there has always been heartache and pain_

 _And when it's over you'll breathe again_

 _You'll breathe again."_

Jack studied her eyes as he sang. Not wanting to overwhelm her, just make it clear that their friendship meant something to him.

" _...Let me be the one you call_

 _If you jump I'll break your fall_

 _Lift you up and fly away with you into the night_

 _If you need to fall apart_

 _I can mend a broken heart_

 _If you need to crash then crash and burn_

 _You're not alone"_

Elizabeth applauded again as Jack took a half bow from where he sat and put his guitar aside.

"Thank you, Jack. I always loved that song. I assume you picked it for another reason though?"

He nodded. "The words seemed very applicable for us right now. I know I screwed up but I want you to be able to trust me again."

"I do. We're okay, Jack. You don't have to keep trying to apologize."

"Alright. Thank you." He leaned back, letting the ocean breeze pass over him. "Where's Dylan today?"

"In the city with my Dad. He needed some male bonding time."

"Oh nice. That will be good for him."

"And Harper?"

"With my Mom and Dad. Getting some girl time with Nana."

"That's good. Girls at her age need that."

"Yeah. What are your plans for tonight?"

"I have no idea. I don't know what to do with myself to be honest." She laughed. "I thought about cooking something new. Or trying to anyway. I don't even know if I'd be good at it anymore. Anyway, the thought actually stresses me out a little too much. I think I'll curl up on the couch and watch a chick flick with a bowl of ice cream."

"I get that. I hate cooking for one."

Jack looked over. Elizabeth pushed a piece of windblown hair out of her face. He loved the way the sun danced over her cheeks. He wanted to tell her that, but he promised he wouldn't pressure anything but friendship. He wanted to keep that promise, at least for now. Maybe one day she'd be ready for more. They'd both been separated for a while. He was in no hurry.

"Here's a thought." She looked over at him. "Why don't you come to my place tonight? We can cook together."

"Oh, I don't know, Jack."

"No, I'm serious. We can pick something and cook like we're on one of those cooking game shows!" She laughed. "Maybe it won't seem so intimidating if you do it with a friend."

"Tempting. But I meant what I said about the ice cream and chick flick. I never get to watch those anymore. With Dylan it's always Star Wars or Marvel."

"I have ice cream and Netflix." He grinned back.

She looked at him and back out to the ocean. Not being able to think of a real reason to decline his offer nor wanting to, she agreed.

"Alright, I'm in."

"Awesome!"

"But if I burn down your kitchen, don't say you weren't warned."

He raised his hands up. "I was warned."

….

"Are you serious? Spanakopita? That's pretty ambitious," she told him. "And you just happen to have phyllo dough?"

"I do actually. I like to try new things with Harper. Plus I love Greek foods."

"Ever been there?"

"No. Maybe one day," he mused.

"Me too. It's been on my travel list forever." She hopped up on the counter and crossed her legs. He ignored them, not allowing himself to go there.

"Would you like a glass of wine?" he asked, holding up a wine glass.

"Sure."

"You like merlot?"

"That's fine, thank you." He poured them each a glass.

She watched him assemble the ingredients on the counter. "Ready, Blue Eyes?"

"For what?"

"To cook. Sitting up there watching doesn't count."

"I don't know, Jack. It probably won't turn out."

He stood in front of her and looked deep in her eyes. "Stop. Ray isn't here. It's me. I don't agree with a single horrible thing that man told you. You are capable of anything, Elizabeth."

She took a sip and put her glass down, choosing to be brave. "Okay. Where do we start?"

An hour later, they sat on the couch in the dim light watching Mama Mia, eating spanakopita and drinking wine.

"It's so good, Elizabeth. What do you think?"

"I think I need another piece." He took her plate and grabbed another piece before she could get up.

"Here you go, beautiful." He froze as he sat down. "Sorry. That's the wine talking."

She blushed, then hit play and smiled, covering her legs with a blanket. "Are you enjoying the movie?" she wondered.

"I guess. The music is fun."

"And it's set in Greece."

"Think you'll go one day?"

"Yeah, actually. I don't know how or when but I think it's something I should make happen."

After a few more minutes, the wine had its effect on Elizabeth too. She laid her head on Jack's shoulder and fell asleep.

He almost didn't notice except her hair smelled like coconut and it made his senses jittery. He kissed the top of her head. "Sleep well, Blue Eyes."

….

Elizabeth woke up the next morning, not at her home. It took her a moment to realize she was at Jack's home.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Jack called from the kitchen.

"Morning, Jack. Why didn't you wake me so I could go home last night?"

"I tried but apparently once you're asleep, you don't wake up for much. So since neither of us had parental responsibilities, I let you sleep."

"Can I use your…?"

"First door on the right," he said, pointing to the hallway.

"Thanks." She wandered past him, feeling very awkward to be in Jack's home so early in the morning.

When she walked out, he handed her a cup of coffee. "Two creams," he said with a smile. Good heavens. How did he look so amazing in his plaid pants, bare feet, and white t-shirt?

"You remembered after sixteen years?"

"I file things in my brain that I might need later on. Apparently that tidbit has been itching to emerge for a long time."

"I really should go soon," she said, sipping her coffee again and setting it on the counter.

"Okay. Text you later?"

"Yeah." She slipped her tennis shoes on and turned to look at him. "Thank you, Jack. For dinner and the movie."

"You made dinner and chose the movie. Maybe I should be thanking you." He walked over closer.

"Your encouragement last night meant a lot, Jack. I've been working hard to truly believe in myself again. It's important to me, so thank you."

He squeezed her hand and shrugged. "What are friends for?"


	8. Chapter 8

The next few weeks were spent building their friendship even more. They met at their spot on the beach. They'd sing and play guitars or just talk. They texted or skyped nightly as well. Officially, they still hadn't gone anywhere in public yet though and Jack wanted that to change. They weren't avoiding it, life was just busy and their kids came first. That was important.

Before his lunch break, Jack sent Elizabeth a text.

"Hey, Blue Eyes."

"Hey."

"Want 2 have lunch?"

"With u?"

"Uh yeah. I won't bite, I promise."

Elizabeth giggled, something she did more regularly since finding Jack again. "Ok. When?"

"I'll pick you up 1?"

"C U then."

He walked inside the principal's office and greeted the secretary, Mrs. Blakely. "Good afternoon. I'm here to see Ms. Thatcher."

"I'll let her know, Chief."

"I'm ready, Florence. Thank you though."

She was dressed in yet another gray suit. She looked amazing but he wondered if it had anything to do with Ray. Was she holding back in what she wore because of his feelings?

"Hey there," he said with a wink.

"Hi, Jack. I'll be back in an hour, Florence."

"Yes, Ms. Thatcher. See you then."

Something about seeing her very handsome friend in his Fire Chief uniform again made her heart beat a bit faster. And made her nervous.

"Elizabeth?"

"Huh?"

"I asked if you wanted to drive or me."

"Oh, um, you can."

"Then this is it." He gestured toward a nice black truck, a red and white light on top. He opened the door for her and shut it once she swung her legs inside.

"Nice truck," she told him, once he got inside.

"Thanks. I bought it a few days ago. It was kind of a moving on thing."

"Oooh, midlife crisis?" she teased with a laugh.

"Something like that."

"Oh, Jack, I'm kidding. I didn't mean anything by that."

"It kind of was. The Jeep was Ashley's idea. It's not that I didn't like it, I just want everything behind me and getting rid of that helped get that done."

"That's an idea. Maybe I should try that."

"If you do, I can help you pick something."

"Thanks, but I'm more than capable of doing it." She tried not to take offense, but men were always trying to influence her decisions.

"Of course you are, Elizabeth. I just wanted you to know I could help."

She stared at her hands, feeling bad for getting defensive.

"Hey, Blue Eyes. Let's start over. I wanted us to have fun at lunch."

"I'm sorry, Jack. Thank you for offering to help."

Maybe lunch out was a mistake. This conversation was exactly why she wasn't planning on getting into another relationship. She had a major trust issue under the surface and it went both ways. Her heart not only didn't trust men, she also didn't think they trusted her. She thought she was doing better, and most days she was. Today was just one of those days where she couldn't get out of her own way.

"You know I'm your friend, right?"

"Of course, yes."

"I don't want you to ever think that I'm trying to tell you what to do. I know how strong you are, Elizabeth, and that you can do anything."

"Are you kidding? I was far from strong, Jack. I stayed with an abusive husband for almost eleven years. If I were strong, I would have left him much sooner."

He parked in the lot by the diner and turned to look at her. "I don't believe for a moment that the reason you stayed with him was because you were weak. Abuse is painful and confusing. Whatever your reason was, when you saw the need, you protected both you and Dylan. I'm proud of you for that."

She wiped her eyes and sighed. Then she laughed when her stomach growled loudly. "Guess we better go inside."

He hopped out and opened her door for her. "Come on, Blue Eyes, let's get a patty melt with onion rings." He held his elbow out and grinned at her. She took his arm.

"I'm getting a salad. I've been eating way too much junk lately. Before long I wont be able to fit in my clothes."

"You look perfect."

She stopped and looked up at him. "Jack, the things you say…sounds a bit more than what a friend would say to another friend. And you can't blame the wine this time."

"Sorry. Things slip out. If you want a salad, get one. But if my memory serves me right, you can't resist an onion ring from the diner.

"I'm impressed," he told her later as they climbed in the truck to head back to the school. "You didn't sneak one onion ring."

"Nope." It had been hard but she stuck to her salad.

"What are you and Dylan doing tonight?"

"Movie night. We usually do it on Friday or Saturday."

"Nice. Tomorrow night, why don't the four of us go to Ryan's for bowling?"

"Ok, but we need bumpers, or I'll bowl a zero every frame."

"Fine by me."

….

Saturday night came and the four of them entered the loud, lit up bowling alley. It had been renovated some since they'd been in high school. More flashy lights, new screens and computer systems. Even the snack bar had been expanded to a bar and grill restaurant.

"Let's do boys against girls," Elizabeth suggested as she put on her rented maroon and tan shoes.

"I'm game," Jack said. "Kids?"

"Awesome! I get to beat Mom and Harper?"

"Uh think again, Dyl," Harper said. "Us girls are so gonna beat you." Elizabeth gave her a high five and a wink.

Jack tied his shoes, the ones he brought from home, and then polished his bright green ball with a rag from his bowling bag. Elizabeth watched him and chuckled. "Got something on your mind, Blue Eyes?"

"Nope. Just…nice ball."

"Thanks. I like it. Won me a few tournaments."

"You were in a bowling tournament?"

"In Austin. Firefighters against Police."

"Learn something new everyday," she said, slightly impressed.

Elizabeth stepped up to the computer and entered Harper in as player one. Then she entered B.E. in as player two.

"Who's B.E., Mom?"

"That's me."

"Blue Eyes," Jack told him.

Elizabeth next put in Dylan as player one on their side and Dimples as player two. Harper snorted.

"I'm gonna call you Dimples from now on, Dad."

"Think again or I'll change yours to H.B."

"I don't care, Dimples," she said quietly, a twinkle in her eye.

"Game on, Honey Bee. Game on."

After the boys won the first game, Elizabeth said that dinner was on them, so the two guys headed to the bar to order food leaving Elizabeth and Harper at the lane.

Once they placed their order, the guys sat on the stools and waited. "Having fun tonight, Dylan?"

"Yeah. It's good."

"Are you enjoying the drums?"

"Yeah. Mom isn't though. She only likes me to practice while she's out running."

"Yeah. Drums can get pretty loud. Actually, the cello is too, now that I think about it." He shook his head as if he could still hear Harper practicing in his ears.

"Harper said you play the guitar?"

"Yes. I do. I've played since I was about your age."

"Is it fun?"

"I enjoy it. I could teach you, if you want."

"You could? That would be cool."

"Great. We can ask your mom and see what she says. Though she could probably teach you too."

While the boys were getting the food, Elizabeth and Harper were chatting as well.

"Ms. Thatcher?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I'm sorry that Dylan got hurt when he stood up to Bradley for me."

"That was weeks ago, it's all fine."

"I know, but I'm still sorry."

"Well, he was feeling protective, I understand."

"Why? He barely knew me."

"I'm thinking it was because of his Dad."

"He told me that he wasn't very nice to you."

"That's true. Maybe since he couldn't protect me from the mean things his Dad used to say, he thought he could protect you."

"That was really nice of him," Harper said.

"Yeah. That's Dylan. He's got a good heart."

"My dad is like that. He protects me too."

"I'm sure he does."

"He would protect you too. I mean, if you needed him to."

"Yeah, I know. Your Dad and I used to be good friends when we were teenagers. Best friends, really."

"I think Dylan is my best friend. He told me I can tell him anything."

"Ok ladies! Let's eat!" Jack announced as he set the hot wings, burgers, and sodas on the table.

"And after that, we are gonna win. Right, Harper?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah!"

…..

After the second game, which Elizabeth and Harper won by 3 points, the kids hurried over to the arcade room. They quickly started a little air hockey tournament of their own.

"They're getting along nicely," Jack said with a smile.

"Very. I'm grateful."

"Me too."

She caught his intense gaze as he sat across from her.

"Jack, what are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're looking at me."

"Yeah… we're having a conversation," he grinned. "Generally it's considered polite to make eye contact with the person you conversing with."

"True but…"

"Hey, Mom?" Dylan was walking up to their table.

"Saved by the kid," Jack teased.

"Oh, we're not done talking about this," she sassed and then turned her attention to her son. "What's up, love?"

"Can we have more quarters?"

She reached into her bag and pulled out her coin purse. "Here you go."

"Sweet! Thanks!"

Once he was back in the arcade room, Elizabeth turned her focus back to Jack. "Now, where were we?"

"This has been a good night, huh?"

"Why do you keep changing the subject?"

"Okay, I'm sorry." He reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. "You're upset because I'm looking at you."

"Yes. No." She huffed. "Jack Thornton! You can be so infuriating." She tried to fight it but a small smile was forming under her glaring eyes. "Just friends, Jack. Please."

"That's all."

"Then why are you looking at me like that?"

Jack nodded slowly. "You're right. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just really happy to be spending time with you again."

"That's it?"

"That's it." That wasn't it. He was trying, but deep down he felt a strong pull towards this woman. Her son too. As confident as he felt that they could have a future, for now all she needed was a friend and that was it. "I'm sorry. You just mean a lot to me, Elizabeth. I'm really, really glad to be spending time with you again."

"Me too," she sighed. "Jack, I'm sorry. Sometimes the way you look at me. It's like…"

"Like you're pretty, smart and funny?" he grinned.

"Something like that, yeah," she blushed. "Problem is, I don't feel like I'm any of those things sometimes. At work, I feel capable but just on my own. In my own skin I don't always. I'm working on it. It's something only I can do for me. You know?"

"Sure I can't help?" he winked, she glared playfully. "You're special, Blue Eyes. And not just to me. Dylan is lucky to have you as a mom and he knows it."

"Did he say something?"

Jack nodded. "Harper told me that they both felt lucky. They both ended up with the good parent, they say. The one that will always love them."

"I'm glad he feels that way. I'd do anything for him."

"I know you would."

She nodded as she watched the kids. They were laughing and having so much fun together.

"I want you to remember, Elizabeth, I'm here for you. Whatever you need, okay? Day or night."

"Thanks, Jack. For being my friend and coming back into my life."

"Happy to be here."

….

Jack dropped Elizabeth and Dylan off at the cottage just after 9. The kids said a quick goodbye before Dylan jumped out.

"See ya, Mr. Thornton."

"See you later, bud."

Elizabeth stepped out of the truck and walked around to Jack's side. He had the window rolled down.

"Thank you for tonight. We had a lot of fun."

"Thanks for coming. We had a good time too, right, Harp?" Jack asked looking back as his daughter climbed into the front passenger seat.

"Yup. I'd do it again," Harper said as she reclined back in the seat.

"Well, there you have it," Jack laughed. "See you at church tomorrow?"

"We'll be there." Suddenly her phone rang. She pulled it out of her back pocket. "Oh, I should take this."

"No problem. We should be heading home. See you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." Her smiled quickly disappeared as she turned to take the call. "Hello?"

"Elizabeth?"

She swallowed hard. It was Ray's mother. "Hi, Katherine."

"Do you have a moment?" She sounded almost out of breath.

"Sure. Is everything okay?"

"It's Ray. He was just here and he's not doing well."

"Is he drinking again?"

"I believe so. I'm not entirely sure he ever stopped." She sniffed as if she had been crying. "We got him back in rehab but he checked himself out and came here, trying to strike a deal with us."

"What kind of deal?"

"He wanted us to loan him some money and…"

"Katherine, tell me what's going on."

"He wanted us to help convince you to come back. But Beth, it's not wise. He's not well and I…" her voice cracked on the line. "I don't know what to do."

"Oh no, Katherine. I'm sorry."

"I know, sweetie. Look, he's not your problem, that's not why I'm calling. I just thought you should know what's going on in case he shows up somewhere looking for you."

"He doesn't know where I live, does he?"

"He doesn't know your current address no, but he knows you moved back to the Cape. Though I'm not sure how, we certainly didn't tell him. I don't believe you're in danger, but he may cause trouble."

"I understand. Thanks for letting me know."

A few minutes later, after giving Katherine a full update on Dylan, she hung up and walked inside her home.

Dylan now dressed in his PJs came down the stairs.

"Tonight was awesome, Mom."

"It was, wasn't it? I'm glad you had a good time."

He nodded. "Can I watch some TV before bed?"

"One episode of something that's appropriate. Nothing that's going to keep you up all night. Then you can read in bed some, if you'd like."

"Deal." He sat down on the big squishy couch with the remote in hand. "You want to sit with me?"

Her heart melted. "Of course. What are we watching?"

"Doctor Who?"

"Alright. But not if it's too creepy."

"You think most of it is creepy."

"That's because it is!" she laughed. "You pick one and I'll go make us some popcorn. Maybe if I'm eating I won't be nervous about it."

Dylan shook his head with a smile.

Two hours later Elizabeth walked up to Dylan's bedroom door. He hadn't lasted long reading that night. She smiled at her handsome son as he laid there on his bed, a book face down on his chest.

She placed a bookmark in his spot and placed the book on his night stand. With a small kiss on his forehead she whispered, "I love you, Dylan."

Elizabeth closed the door and headed back downstairs. She picked her phone up off the counter and stepped outside onto the deck. The sudden burst of a warm wind wrapped itself around her like a warm blanket. Inside her chest she could feel her heart thundering. The call from Katherine earlier left her feeling a bit lost and scared.

She remembered Jack's kind words from earlier. How he was there for her. Day or night. Quickly she sent a text.

"You awake?" It wasn't long before she received a reply.

"Yup. Just reading. What's up?"

She stared at her phone, second guessing her original thought of confiding the news to Jack. She wanted to be seen as strong, and independent. How was running to Jack at the first sign of trouble going to show that?

"Nothing. Just wanted to thank you again for the fun evening."

"You're welcome. Is Dyl asleep?"

"Yup. We watched his creepy British show before bed and had popcorn. I love it, he's a happy boy."

Her phone rang.

"What, you don't like texting?" she laughed.

"Not when I can hear your voice. So, creepy British TV?"

"Yeah. Julie's husband, Mike, introduced it to him. It's called Dr. Who."

"That's not creepy, that's awesome!"

"It is good, I won't argue, but it's creepy."

Jack laughed. "Maybe a little." There was a long pause. "Elizabeth, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier."

"Jack, its fine. I'm probably being overly sensitive about everything."

"Either way, I want you to be honest with how you feel, okay?"

"I want you to be the same."

"I care about you, Blue Eyes. A lot."

"I know you do." She couldn't help but smile. For a moment, she let herself think what it would be like to be with Jack. Right now she was sitting alone on the couch talking to him. If they were together what might they be doing instead? Would they be curled up on the couch talking and drinking tea? Or would they have turned in early to bed for… She shook all the romantic, intimate thoughts out of her head.

"So what do you think?" Jack's voice brought her back to the present.

"About? Sorry. I lost my train of thought."

"That's okay. I was asking if I could spend a little time with Dylan and teach him guitar. He showed interest when he and I were talking at the bowling alley. Harper has been wanting to learn too. I asked her if she minded sharing some of that time with Dylan and she really liked the idea. I know you can too, so I don't want to take that away from you."

"Oh, I don't know. It's a good idea, and I certainly don't mind. But I don't have a guitar for him to use. Mine's a little, well, girly looking he said. "

"That's okay. I can take care of that."

"How? You don't have to spend money on him."

"I'll talk to Pete and see if he has an extra around. Jesse too."

"Oh, that could work." She tried to relax a bit more. "Looks like I have a little rock star on my hands."

"How do you feel about that?"

"I don't know. Bring on the noise, I guess," she laughed. They talked for another hour about everything and nothing. Never once did she bring up the call from Katherine.

….

Monday rolled around and it was back to school and work. Elizabeth had a meeting in town at the district office in the early afternoon. When the meeting got out around 1:30, she decided to call out for the rest of the day and get some things done around the house. There were still a few boxes that needed to be unpacked.

Harper was standing at her locker at the end of the day. She'd decorated it nicely. A few pictures of the beach, one of her and her dad, and two of her and Dylan making funny faces.

Emily, a girl from the soccer team at the locker next to her glanced over and took notice of the pictures. With a grin she asked, "Are you Dylan sort of together?"

"Dylan? No gross. He's like my brother. Besides, I think my dad would have a heart attack if I started dating now."

"Do you have to wait till you're 16 or something?"

"Well, Dad says 40, but I'm pretty sure he's joking. 16 sounds about right."

Dylan showed up with his Carhartt jacket and his Red Sox hat on. "Ready?" Even though he had his bike today, he agreed to walk home with Harper.

"Sure." She closed her locker and said bye to Emily.

"See you guys later!"

Harper walked next to Dylan as he pushed his bike down the road. They were a heading out of a housing development which was a shortcut from the school to their street. As they hit the main road, Harper asked, "What do you think of the book we have to read for English?"

"I like it. I've read it before."

"The Hobbit? Really?"

"Yeah. My mom read it to me when I was younger and I read it for myself last summer. You'll like it, I bet. There's movies you know? Maybe after we finish the book we can do a marathon movie night."

"I'm up for that! I can even make brownies. Papa taught me this weekend."

"I knew I picked you as a friend for a reason!" he teased. "Wait, your Papa? Not Nana?"

"Oh no." Harper laughed. "All Nana can teach is how to burn things."

"Ah, okay." They laughed together.

A black SUV drove past them then turned around in the next driveway. The two kids thought nothing of it until the vehicle pulled right alongside them and rolled down the window.

"Dylan," a male voice said from inside.

"Dad?" Dylan felt the air leave his lungs. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you and your mom," Ray smiled. "Who's this?" He nodded to Harper.

"A friend from school." That was all the information Dylan was willing to give.

"I see." Ray unlocked the car. "Hop in, son. I can take you home."

Dylan didn't move. Harper looked at him and could see anger and fear in his innocent brown eyes. "He wasn't heading home. We're heading to the library."

"Oh. Plans can change. Come on Dylan."

"Mom's not home either. She has meetings." Dylan prayed he was a convincing liar. "You can go wait at Grandpa's though. You remember where they are?"

Ray shook his head. "I don't really feel like dealing with your grandfather right now. So you're not coming with me?"

"Sorry. I need to be where Mom expects me to be."

Ray rolled his eyes. With a harsh tone he said, "Fine. I'll see you in a bit."

The two kids watched as the SUV drove off. "Thanks." Dylan whispered. "I didn't know what to do."

"Well you weren't getting in that car. I wasn't going to let you." Dylan's eyes were fixed on the vehicle as it drove out of sight. "Come on. Let's get somewhere and call your mom."

Dylan looked at his watch. "She's at home. I'm just gonna go tell her."

"You sure you're safe?"

"Yeah. I just need to talk Mom. Talk to you later?"

"Please. Let me know later that you guys are fine, okay?"

"Sure. Bye, Harp."

"Bye." She watched as Dylan hopped on his bike and pedaled as fast as he could toward home, taking a shortcut through some yards. He was clearly scared. Harper decided to run the rest of the way home. She needed to talk to her dad and fast. She didn't like the look in Dylan's father's eyes when she met him.

"Dad?" she yelled as she burst through the front door of her home.

"Hi, sweetie." Charlotte said from the living room. "How was school?"

"Where's Dad?" She was out of breath.

"He got caught up on a call at the station. He should be home for dinner though." Harper covered her eyes and sighed. "Harper?"

"I don't know what to do…"

"Do you want to call the station? If he's back you can talk to him."

"Yeah. I wanna do that."

….

Elizabeth was in the kitchen pulling out a pan of freshly baked cookies when she heard the front door open.

"Hey, Dylan. I'm in the kitchen. I made your favorite."

"Smells good." Elizabeth nearly dropped the hot baking sheet on the floor. "Hi." Ray smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "Can't a guy come see his wife and son?"

"Ex-wife," she corrected.

"Do you really want that to still be the case?"

Her stomach flipped. "The divorce is final, Ray. Has been for a while."

"I haven't been myself then lately. I'm sorry. It was a mistake." His tone was so matter of fact. There was no emotion in it. "So. How are you?"

"Fine." Elizabeth did her best to focus on breathing. "You?"

"Been better. I do have a job now though. You remember Clint?"

"Your old friend from law school?"

"Yes. He's overrun with cases right now so he gave me a spot. Not a lot of money yet, but after the first couple cases close, we'll be set."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks. I decided, with that back on track, now it was time to fix this." He gestured to them.

"What is it you want exactly?"

Ray shrugged. "Let's go back to normal. Things were good once, right?"

Mustering all the courage she had, Elizabeth stood tall. "I don't think we'd make each other happy. We didn't then, and won't now."

Ray scratched the stubble on his chin. "You look good. Your hair's different. You never wore it like that much before."

"You told me you didn't like down."

"I guess I was wrong." He stared at her, but she refused to make eye contact. His anger was getting the best of him as he slammed his fist against the counter. "Come on, Elizabeth. Knock this off. I'm here. I'm trying."

"I didn't ask you here! You're here for you. You didn't love me. You loved to control me!"

"See, there you go again! Making crap up in that little head of yours." He took a couple steps closer. She could tell by the way he walked that he had been drinking. He was stiff, trying to hard to appear normal. "Whatever, you know I was good to you before, you stupid …"

"Get away from her!" Dylan yelled as he burst through the door. "I mean it!"

"Stay out of this, kid," Ray yelled. "This is between me and my wife."

"She's not your wife anymore!" Dylan walked closer, Ray stretched out his hand to keep the boy away, a look of fury in his eyes.

"Dylan," Elizabeth tried to sound calm. "It's okay."

"No it's not. This isn't his home! It's ours and you need to leave, Dad," he said looking at his father.

Ray pushed up his sleeve and moved towards Dylan ready to "control" him.

"No!" Elizabeth lunged forward and grabbed Ray's arm. "Leave him be!"

Seeing Elizabeth's cell phone on the counter Dylan grabbed it and ran outside. He was searching for Jack's number when he saw the familiar black truck pull up to the house.

"Mr. Thornton!" Dylan cried out. "My Dad. He's inside."

Jack felt a panic rush over him as he rushed toward the house. "Get in the truck, Dylan. Lock it!"


	9. Chapter 9

Jack looked through the window to the left of the door. He didn't want to rush in if the guy was armed and put Elizabeth's well being even more at risk.

When Harper had called and told him that Dylan's dad was in town and tried to get him to go with him, Jack immediately felt a fierce need to protect the boy, and Elizabeth. He wasn't going to lose her again.

He watched through the window as Ray grabbed her wrists, which in itself wasn't horrible, but then Jack saw Elizabeth wince in pain and bend forward. The man was going too far.

Jack stormed in through the door. "Let her go!"

Elizabeth and Ray both looked at Jack. "Who are you to tell me what to do?!" Ray asked. "Who is this guy, babe?"

"Don't call me that!" She ripped her wrists away from him and stepped back, hitting the counter.

"Come on, Elizabeth, you know that you want to be with me. It's going to be okay. I've changed." Jack scoffed. "Shut up!"

Jack stayed silent but moved closer, trying to figure out some way to get her further away from Ray.

"Ray, you need to go. I don't want you here in my house."

"Then move back home. With me," he said with a softer tone.

"We don't have a home. You lost your job and you lost our home, remember?"

"That wasn't my fault!" he boomed.

"It doesn't matter. I don't love you, Ray. You need to leave!"

"Elizabeth, come on."

"She asked you to leave, Ray. Please respect that," Jack told him, stepping in between Elizabeth and Ray.

"Who are you, anyway? Why are you even here?"

"Jack Thornton. I'm Elizabeth's friend."

"So being her friend means you can speak for her?"

"I'm not speaking for her. She spoke for herself already and you're ignoring her request. So now you get to listen to me."

"I will be back, Elizabeth. You have my son. I should get to see him." Ray turned to walk away and then stopped and glared at Jack. "I don't need you present when I see him by the way," he told Jack. "You are not his father."

"Ray! Get out!" Elizabeth told him, opening the door. "If you're clean, we can set it up with the courts about visitation, but you are absolutely NOT going to be alone with him."

As soon as he was gone, Jack walked over to Elizabeth. "Are you ok?" Her hands were shaking and she wasn't looking at him. "Elizabeth."

"Why did you do that?! I was handling him just fine! I can take care of myself, Jack."

"Of course you can. But he was hurting you, Elizabeth."

"He barely touched me. This is what I don't need. I don't need protection. You didn't need to do that."

He stepped back and leaned against the counter. "Look at it from my side. I got this call from my daughter and she was upset. She told me that Dylan's dad tried to get him to go with him in his car when they were walking home. Do you know what that did to me?" She looked at him and crossed her arms. "That scared me, Elizabeth. Knowing what you told me about Ray, knowing that he was in town, trying to take Dylan….that told me that you were next. I cannot lose you again, Elizabeth."

"Jack, I'm sorry you were scared, but…"

"No, I will never stop caring about you and your son. You are back in my life now and if I need to protect you from something, I'm going to try and I won't apologize for it."

"I need to take care of Dylan."

"He's in the truck. I'll get him."

Jack walked outside and climbed back in the truck. He sighed, leaning his forehead on the steering wheel.

"Mr. Thornton?"

He lifted his head and looked in the back seat. "Hi, Dylan. Are you okay?"

"I'm scared. Is my mom okay?"

"Yes. She says she's fine."

"Is he going to come back?"

"I don't know, but you need to let your mom know how you feel. She will keep you safe."

"Mr. Thornton, I love my mom, and she is a strong person, but what if she can't? He's so strong and so mean."

"I will always be here for you, Dylan, but for both of your sakes, give your mom a chance to figure things out. She's very capable. You know how to find me if you need me though."

He nodded, then in a soft voice he said, "Thank you for coming, Mr. Thornton."

"You're welcome, Dylan. Now go make sure your mom is okay. You're the young man of the house now."

"Got it!"

….

Elizabeth felt badly about how things had gone between her and Jack. She felt as if the friendship that they had been rebuilding for the last six weeks was now more fragile than ever. She didn't want that. As much as she wanted to be independent and strong, she had come to rely on Jack. She had been relieved when he rushed through her door. Needing him didn't make her weak and she needed to remember that.

So, that night, once Dylan was asleep next to her in her big bed, she texted Jack.

"You awake?" A few moments later, he responded.

"Yes. What's up?"

She stood up and left the room and then called him.

"Hello?"

"Jack, I'm sorry. I am so grateful to you for showing up today." She felt her emotions just beneath the surface but she swallowed and stayed calm.

"I'll always be here."

"Why, Jack?"

He hesitated. He knew she was bringing up their past conversations about their "friendship" and their boundaries. He didn't want to blurt out that he wanted more. He didn't want to push her into something she wasn't ready for.

"Jack?"

"Elizabeth, our friendship means the world to me. It did sixteen years ago and it still does."

"Me too." Her tears started then.

"Are you crying? Blue eyes, what's wrong?"

"I'm scared." She didn't like to admit it because it made her feel it. But if she couldn't tell her best friend how she really felt, who could she tell?

"Do you want me to come over?"

"What about Harper?"

"She's asleep. I can leave her for a few minutes. I'll set the alarm and leave a note. You're just down the street anyway."

"No, that's alright. I'll be fine."

"No, you're not. See you in five," he told her before hanging up.

Five minutes later, she saw headlights on the wall so she looked out the window and watched to make sure it wasn't Ray. It wasn't.

She opened the door and let him in, turning the lock after he shut it.

"Hey," he whispered, opening his arms.

"Hi." She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his shoulder.

"It's going to be okay. I promise."

"How do you know that? He could come back anytime, Jack. What if he tries to take Dylan?"

"You have primary custody. That would be kidnapping."

"What if he takes me to court and wins?"

"He won't."

She stepped back and shook her head. "You don't know that."

"I don't," he admitted. "But he didn't contest the custody ruling before. He would somehow have to prove why he is a better parent than you. That won't happen."

They walked over and sat on the couch. "I'm glad you're here," she whispered.

"Me too." He reached over slowly and took her hand.

"Jack."

"Friends can hold hands," he said, threading his fingers through hers.

"That's not a rule."

"It is now." She smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder. "You know, I really wanted to punch that guy." She snorted and that made him laugh. "I'm not kidding." He gently ran his fingertip along the side of her wrist. There were bruises forming, and it broke his heart. "You shouldn't have to be afraid of your ex-husband's temper."

"But that's my life, at least it was, for a long time."

He kissed the top of her head. "Not anymore."

"You heard him, Jack. He said he would come back. He wants to see Dylan."

"He doesn't have visitation. He can't just show up unless the court says he can. You said so yourself."

"It has never stopped him before. Sadly, he really only wants me. He's never shown a real interest in his son so I don't believe for a moment that he wants visitation now."

They sat in silence for a few moments and then she let go of his hand. "It's late and Harper is alone."

"Yeah. Please call me, though, if you need me. I know you don't "need" me, per se, but call if you do, okay?"

She followed him to the door and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. I'll talk to you tomorrow, alright?"

"Sure."

He walked out and watched as she locked the door and then headed to his truck.

….

The next few days went smoothly with no further sign that Ray was still around. Until Friday.

Elizabeth was sitting in her office working on paperwork when she heard a knock and in walked Florence with a large bouquet of red roses. "Moving right along with the Chief, are we?"

She read the card and threw it away. "It's not from him."

"Oh."

"Were these delivered?"

"Yes, but not by the flower shop, though. A really nice guy in an expensive black suit brought them. Quite a handsome guy."

"What did he look like? Did he leave right away?"

"Dark hair, dark eyes, about six feet tall."

Her stomach dropped. "Did you see him leave? Florence, this is important. He is Dylan's father and he may try to take him."

"Oh, dear. Do you mean kidnap?"

"Maybe. Can you please go get Dylan and bring him to my office? I need to make sure he is here."

"Shouldn't we call the police?"

"Not yet. You know what, I'll go get Dylan."

"Nonsense. If you're concerned, I'll ask Mr. Flynn to go get Dylan for you."

"Thank you, Florence."

She sat in her desk chair and waited for her son to arrive. She prayed and prayed and just as she was about to go herself because it was taking forever, Dylan walked in.

"Oh my gosh, Dylan! What took you so long?" She hugged him hard and didn't let go.

"I was doing my book report presentation, Mom. What's wrong?"

She looked down at him with tears in her eyes and shook her head. "Baby, I just got scared for a moment. I'm so glad you're ok."

"Of course I am. Mom, what's going on?"

"Your dad was here."

"What? Why?"

"He brought me flowers, that's all."

"Why did that scare you?"

"It doesn't matter now." She kissed his cheeks and gave him another hug. "I love you, Dylan. You know that."

"Of course. I love you too, Mom."

"You can head back to class, sweetie. I will see you after school, alright?"

"Yeah. Can we have a movie night with Harper tonight?"

"Maybe. Let me think about it and ask Mr. Thornton."

"Alright. See ya!"

Jesse poked his head in. "Do you want me to make sure he gets back okay?"

"Could you?"

"I will. Maybe we should consider letting the school security guard know what's going on."

"I think that's a good idea. I'll go see him now. Thanks, Jesse."

"Anytime."

….

The evening turned out much better for Elizabeth than her day had been. She gave the flowers she'd received to the kitchen staff at the school. They welcomed the gift for the hard working women there.

Now she was sitting at her kitchen table with Jack enjoying a slice of pizza and a glass of wine while Dylan and Harper sat on the couch playfully arguing over the plot points of the first Hobbit movie and how it differed from the book.

Jack studied Elizabeth as she sat there across from him. It had been a trying week for her. "You okay?"

"Mhmm." She took another bite of her pizza. "This bacon and pineapple pizza idea is pretty good."

"Yeah. It's been Harper's favorite since she was three."

"Smart kid."

"She is." That was the extent of their conversation for the next little bit. Then he whispered softly, "Blue Eyes, what's on your mind?"

Elizabeth looked back at the kids. Harper was laughing at something Dylan had just said. They were having a great time together. They seemed distracted enough for her to open up. Even so, she spoke in hushed tones. "Ray came to school today. I didn't see him, but he left flowers for me at the office."

Jack cringed. "How'd he even get in? Don't you guys have a system in place during the day where people have to be buzzed in?"

"We do, Florence is in charge of that and she had no reason not to let the smiling man in with the giant bouquet of flowers. Besides, he entered with another parent that was picking up their child." Jack leaned back in a huff. "She knows now, and so does our campus security guard."

Jack was about to open his mouth with a suggestion that they move back in with her parents, or even with him until this was all settled. Thankfully, Dylan walked up to them with a question. Jack knew his suggestion would not have gone over well. He just wanted to keep them safe.

"Mom, can we have popcorn? The pizza's gone."

"All of it? We bought two larges!" Elizabeth laughed.

Dylan puffed out his belly and gave it a good pat.

Now Jack was laughing. "He's a growing boy, Blue Eyes. He needs a steady intake of food all the time."

"Listen to the man, Mom. He knows what he's talking about."

"Alright," she laughed. "I'll make the popcorn."

"Awesome. Oh, and do we have more root beer?"

"In the door of the fridge."

"Sweet." Dylan walked to the fridge and pulled out two root beers and brought them into the living room.

Jack turned his attention back to Elizabeth. "I want to protect you."

"It's not your job, Jack."

"I'm not looking at it as a job. I see it as a privilege."

There were no words she could think of to respond with. She took the hand he'd placed palm up on the table for her.

Harper looked over to where her Dad and Elizabeth were, taking quick note of the fact that their hands were touching. "What's up with them?" she whispered to Dylan.

He looked over and shrugged. "Mom had a bad week. I guess he's being a friend."

"Are they allowed to be friends?"

"I don't know. We're friends."

"But we don't hold hands."

"And we're not going to," Dylan laughed.

Later that night once Jack and Harper were home, she decided to ask her dad about what she had seen between them. She was also worried for Elizabeth. She liked her and knew full well whatever was going on with Elizabeth would affect Dylan as well.

"Hey, Dad?" Harper walked into the living room where Jack was sitting.

"Yeah, Harper?"

"Is Ms. Thatcher going to be okay?"

"Yeah. I think so. It was a pretty rough week for her. Dylan too."

"Yeah. It's not fair. Is Dylan's father going to try and take him away again?"

"I can't give you an answer as to what that man will do. But Dylan and his mom are our friends. I'm going to do what I can to make sure they're safe."

"Is that why you were holding her hand? Making her feel safe?"

Jack felt like a deer in the headlights. Of course Harper had seen him. No wonder she had been so quiet on the way home. "Yeah, Honey Bee. That's all."

She nodded. "Okay." That was all she needed to know for now. "Can we read more of Narnia tonight before bed?"

"Of course. Go get ready for bed and I'll grab the book."

"Thanks Dad."

Jack went over to the wall with the built-in bookshelves and took the well worn book from the shelf. As he moved back to the couch to wait for his daughter, his mind wandered to thoughts of Elizabeth. What would it be like if they were together? How would Harper and Dylan feel?

"There's no point." He sighed. He understood. He was at least a year ahead of Elizabeth as far as their respective divorces. Though she had been apart from Ray for a while. Even he wasn't really ready to date per se, but with Elizabeth, it would be different. There was a history there. They still have so much in common.

"Ready!" Harper hopped down the stairs in her favorite pjs. Jack smiled at his little girl. As much as he wanted Elizabeth to give him a chance, he was grateful for what he had right now. His little girl, safe and happy.

….

The morning came quickly at the Thornton home. Jack met his parents at the soccer field for Harper's game. After a win, Papa Tom treated the family to an early lunch before Jack headed off to work. Harper was excited to spend the day with her grandparents.

In the late afternoon, Elizabeth sat at her kitchen table with a new sketchbook. Jack had been encouraging her to explore her old hobbies again, things she gave up on during her marriage. Turned out, she still had the skill and was thoroughly enjoying herself. Dylan was sitting in one of the big plush armchairs in the living room playing an adventure video game. He was so focused, he didn't realize his mom was using him as a model for her sketch. The cottage open floor plan made it easy.

The calm of the home was suddenly interrupted by a knock on the front door. Before either of them got up to answer it, the door opened.

"Hello?" Elizabeth put her sketchbook down and turned toward the door. Dylan jumped to his feet, they weren't expecting anyone.

"Hi. May I come in?" It was Ray. He was already inside closing the door behind him.

"What are you doing here?" she raised her voice slightly to show her irritation.

"I thought we could talk."

"No," Dylan stated plainly.

Ray smirked, "I come in peace, kid."

Dylan looked at his mom. Elizabeth had no desire to engage with her ex, but she hoped if she heard him out maybe he'd leave without a scene.

"Fine. We can talk. Dylan, sweetie, will you go upstairs?"

"Not a chance."

"Dylan…"

"I'll go out on the back deck." Dylan walked into the kitchen and picked up the house phone. "I'm taking this with me. You do anything stupid, I'm calling the police." He grabbed a bag of chips from the cupboard and stepped outside, angling one of the deck chairs to give him a straight shot view of his parents. Jack's words were running through his head. He was the young man of the house. He'd do what he could to help his mom.

"He's a character," Ray commented with a sly grin.

"He's a wonderful boy." Ray nodded. "What did you want to talk about, Ray?"

"The other night. It didn't go as planned."

"No. I suppose it didn't. As you can imagine it was quite a surprise for you to show up without any notice. It's been months."

"I needed to get my life together. It hasn't been easy."

"Still," Elizabeth told him. "A phone call would have been nice."

"You're right. I apologize." They stood there, glancing up for the occasional eye contact and back down again. "Did you get the flowers?"

"I saw them."

He looked around the home. "But didn't keep them? Or maybe they're at the school still." She nodded. "You look mad. Why?"

"Why are you here?"

"You were my wife. Don't you miss us? I know I do."

"I did once. Then I realized that us, even at our best, was still you being controlling and me falling into step behind you. That's not the life I want and it's not what I want modeled for Dylan."

Ray threw his hands up in the air and then they fell to his sides with a slap. "Elizabeth, please." She stood strong, unaffected. It was unnerving to him. "Oh, I get it. It's that guy. Jack Thornton, right?" He began to pace the room in front of her. "I remember him, you know. Your high school unrequited love."

"What? I never said that to you. Not once."

"No, you didn't. That was a secret you kept from me."

"Secret? There was nothing to tell. How do you even know anything about Jack?"

"Doesn't matter. So what's this all about, Elizabeth? You think you two have some sort of chance now? You just had to get me out of the picture?"

"Ray, I hadn't spoken to Jack in years. Not the whole time we were dating, or while we were married. I didn't even know he moved back here till a couple months ago."

"And now you're together?"

"Of course not!" She didn't know why she responded as if the idea was absurd, but she did. "We're friends. That's it. Not that I owe you any explanations."

"Okay. Okay. I didn't come here to fight. Let's just focus on us." He took a step towards her. "So what is it you want from me? How can we get back on track?"

"Ray…"

"Elizabeth, we have a son together. That has to count for something here. Not to mention the years we've invested in each other."

Elizabeth scrunched up her nose as he got closer. The scent of alcohol was on his breath. "Ray, you're not well. The other night proved that."

"How?"

Exasperated she responded, "You walked into my home without so much as a knock, then yelled and hurt me when you weren't getting your way. For all I know you had been drinking then too."

"I didn't hurt you! I never hurt you!"

"The last night were shared a home together you did. Then there's this." She held up her wrist which bore the bruise he'd left from the other night. "That's the physical side. Mentally you've been knocking me around for years. I'm done."

"So that's it?"

"Yes. I mean…" She sighed. "You're right. Dylan is our son, not that you seem to care about him much," she muttered, hoping Dylan wouldn't hear her from his perch outside. "If you can get your act together and prove that you can be a good father to him, I'll consider visitation again. But not now, Ray. Not like this. Dylan deserves more."

"I get it." Ray lifted his hands as if to concede and began backing up toward the door. "I do. I'll check in again later, okay?"

"When you've actually put the work in to getting better, Ray. No sooner. No more just showing up here. You understand?"

Ray was now fuming, but held it together. "Fine. I'll consider the terms."

That wasn't exactly the answer she was going for, but if he'd leave, that would be a win for now. "Now would you just go, please?"

"What? Am I making you uncomfortable?" He laughed, as if the thought was completely ridiculous to him. She shot him a glare. He stepped towards her again, but there was a fire in her eyes he didn't recognize. He had no control. "Fine. I'm leaving. You can tell your little watchdog he can come back in."

With a slam of the door, he left. Dylan reentered into the house and placed the phone on the counter, shaking his head. "What a jerk."

"Dylan…" she scolded.

"No, Mom. I'm not sorry for that. That's what he is."

Elizabeth couldn't disagree. "Dylan, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Mom. It's all him." He hugged her tight, then checked out the front window to make sure his father was really gone.

Life had matured her little boy faster than it should have.

….

Inside the fire station's garage bays, Jack worked alongside his men cleaning the 3 fire engines and 1 medical truck.

"Toss me another sponge, Lee," Jack called to the other side of the truck. Before he looked up, he was smacked in the head with a wet sponge. "Ouch. Thanks."

"You asked for it, Chief," Lee teased. Lee was Jack's second in command. His wife Rosie was the music teacher at Harper's school. They'd moved to Hyannis from Boston a couple years after they started having children, hoping for a slower pace in life. Jack liked the man a lot and was grateful for their fast forming friendship.

Jack looked up as a black SUV with tinted windows pulled into the station. Whoever it was was clearly not a fireman because he parked in such a way that he blocked two of the engines from getting out.

"Hey!" Lee yelled as he approached the vehicle. "You can't park there." He pointed to the parking lot to the right of the station.

"I won't be here long," the man said with authority as he got out. Jack recognized the voice and hurried over.

"I don't care. You're blocking our main engine. Sir, you have to move your car."

"Ray." Jack was now standing with Lee. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk."

"Fine. Move your car. I'll be right over."

"Fine," Ray huffed. "It's not like I'm blocking the only truck you have. What is it, your lucky truck or something?" He stepped inside the vehicle, slamming the door.

"Who is that guy?" Lee asked annoyed.

"Bad news. That's who." Jack strode over to the parking lot where Ray was now leaning against his SUV. "What are you doing here?"

"I figured we should talk."

"About?"

"My wife and kid."

"Your ex-wife you mean."

"For now."

His tone sent a chill up Jack's spine. "Just out of curiosity, how'd you find me?"

"That night you came and stuck your nose in where it didn't belong, you were in uniform. It's a small town. Didn't take me long to figure it out."

"Hey, Chief!" one of the men called out.

"Give me a sec, okay, Ryan?" Jack turned back to Ray.

"Chief, huh? So I guess you're used to bossing people around. Well, let me just say that's not something I plan on letting you get away with around me again."

"All I did was help enforce Elizabeth's wishes. I have no agenda here."

"Oh, now I beg to differ. See, I thought about you after I left that night. Your name seemed a little too familiar."

"I can't imagine how. We've never met."

"Doesn't mean I didn't know about you. It took a bit but I remembered. When Elizabeth and I were in college we came here for the holidays. I overheard her speaking with her sisters one night. I hadn't intended to, of course, it just happened."

"Sure it did." Jack rolled his eyes.

"I remember Julie asking, 'What about Jack Thornton?' and I was intrigued. Who was this mystery man that I knew nothing about?"

Jack shrugged. "We were friends in high school."

"You broke her heart according to that little conversation." Ray laughed. "I decided right then to push our relationship even further. Couldn't have you stepping back in and all that. I think she was more willing given how much hurt you caused. Regardless, the best man won I'd say, and will again."

"Hardly." Jack paid attention to his breathing, trying to keep from losing his cool. "You're a vile, heartless man. The way you treated Elizabeth and Dylan is deplorable."

"And yet, she's not with you and has agreed to give me another chance."

"What?" He could feel the rage swell within. "She wouldn't."

"She did. I was just at the house and we talked it over. We have a son, you know. She wants what's best for him."

"That part I do believe, but what's best for Dylan is not you."

"What did you think would happen? You would swoop in and become the man of her dreams? She doesn't want you. She wants our life back and in time, that's what she's going to get."

"You're full of it, Ray."

"Am I?" Ray grinned. "Mark my words, Thornton, I'll get what's mine back and this time, it will be for good." As Jack took a step forward, Ray got into his car. Jack wanted to stop him and the anger inside him was at a boiling point. As he took a step forward, the alarm in the firehouse went off and Jack was forced to rush back inside.


	10. Chapter 10

After work that night, Jack texted Elizabeth. "You awake?"

"Yes. Where r you?"

"Leaving work. Do you want company?"

"Where's Harper?"

"With my parents."

"Sure. You can come over."

"B there soon."

Elizabeth was relieved once again that she would be seeing Jack very soon. She didn't trust that Ray wasn't going to just stop by again.

She saw his truck pull in so she walked over and unlocked the door. "Hey."

"Hey, Blue Eyes. Are you doing okay?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I heard you had a visitor."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Ray stopped by to see me at the station tonight." They walked over to the couch and sat down.

"Why?"

"He wanted to make sure that I knew where I stood with him and you, for that matter."

"I don't understand."

"He told me that you two had a chat."

"We did. He just showed up, no warning again. Knocked and then walked inside."

He resisted the urge to remind her to lock the door. She wouldn't take that very well.

"He said that you want what's best for Dylan and that meant him being back in your lives."

Elizabeth laughed and then looked at Jack. He wasn't laughing. "What else did he say?"

"He was very certain that you and he were going to be getting back together."

"Jack, you know that will never happen, right? I would never go back to him." He stared at her for a moment. "Jack?"

"Yeah. I guess I knew that...I just.."

"He abused me! I came here to Hyannis for a reason, Jack." She shook her head and fought her tears. "I can't believe you even thought for a moment that I would go back to him."

"Blue Eyes…"

"No, I need you to go, please. Honestly, I thought you were my best friend." She stood and started walking to the door so he followed her.

"I am. Elizabeth, I did trust you. I knew you wouldn't be going back to him. I told him that too but I was worried about you. I wanted to make sure he wasn't trying to force you into anything or threatening you. Please..."

She nodded and wiped her tears with her fingers. "I'm sorry that I assumed the worst."

He gently moved forward and pulled her into his arms. "You are a smart, strong woman, Elizabeth and I do trust you to make the right decision for you and Dylan."

"That right decision doesn't involve me getting back with Ray, I promise."

He nodded and kissed her forehead. "I'm glad."

He looked down at her, his Elizabeth, and got lost in her eyes. She had a vulnerability there, but also, he could see trust and that was good.

His fingers squeezed between hers as his head tilted down ever so slightly to the right, bringing his lips dangerously close to…

***"'Here comes the sun (doo doo doo doo)

Here comes the sun, and I say…" ***

Elizabeth stepped back as he pulled the ringing phone from his back pocket and frowned. "I should…" he motioned to the door.

She nodded and locked the door behind him as he walked to his truck. She was disappointed. She didn't want to think that it was the lack of a kiss and the interruption that caused it, but it was and she didn't know what to do about it.

…..

In the truck…

"You're coming to town, Ash?"

"Yes. I miss Harper."

"When do you get in?" He wasn't ever going to deny her a visit with Harper. He believed that every little girl needed her mother so if Ashley was willing, he was too.

"On Sunday afternoon. Maybe we can have dinner?"

"Ash.."

"As friends, Jack. I don't have a hidden agenda with you or anything."

He hesitated for a moment and then agreed. "Dinner will work but with Harper too. Since she's the reason you are coming, right?"

"Yes. Thank you. I will see you Sunday then."

"See you then."

When he hung up, he debated whether to text Elizabeth about the phone call, or at the very least apologize for the interruption. In the end, he just headed home and went to bed.

Sleep didn't come quickly though. He couldn't stop thinking about how close he came to kissing his blue-eyed best friend. It was kind of ironic that his ex-wife was the one that interrupted them.

Saturday went by fast, he worked most of the day and still hadn't texted Elizabeth. He didn't know why he wasn't telling her about Ashley coming but he hadn't. The important thing was she was coming to see Harper and that Harper was okay with seeing her.

Sunday evening came and Jack and Harper were getting ready to go to dinner. When Harper came out of her room, she sat on the couch to wait for her dad.

She was nervous. It had been months since she had seen her mom and it didn't make sense that she was coming to town to see her. She called every other week and they spoke for about ten minutes. She seemed like it was a chore or a duty rather than actually wanting to speak with her.

"Harp?"

She looked up. "Yeah."

"What's wrong? You look upset."

"Nothing."

He sat next to her and looked into her eyes. "You nervous?"

"I just don't know what the point is. I'm sure she doesn't even want to see me."

"Babe, she told me that she misses you."

"I don't believe that. Do you?"

"I don't know. I hope that it is true. I don't know why else she would visit."

…..

At the cottage, Elizabeth was typing away emails and finishing paperwork for the school.

"Did you get your homework done for tomorrow, Dylan?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe we should see if Harper and Mr. Thornton want to go out to eat," she suggested, wanting to see him after a few days of radio silence.

"They have plans," he told her, still watching TV.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Harper's Mom is in town."

"Ashley?"

"I guess," he said with a shrug.

She sat silently for a moment, feeling something. It almost felt possessive, jealous. But that was crazy. She didn't own Jack. He was free to spend time with anyone he chose.

"Let's go to the diner. I need some ice cream."

"Uh oh."

"Uh oh, what?"

"What flavor?"

"Chocolate."

"Mom, why not just tell Mr. Thornton you like him?"

"He's my friend, Dylan."

"If you say so, but I've seen the way he looks at you and you guys were holding hands."

"I'm going to go change and we can go, okay?"

"Sure but you look fine."

She looked down at her jeans and t-shirt and decided he was right. She didn't need to impress anyone. "Okay then, let's go."

They arrived at the packed diner a little later. They waited about five minutes and then finally found a booth to sit in. Elizabeth went all in and ordered a bacon cheeseburger, onion rings, and a chocolate shake with two cherries. Dylan raised his eyebrows at her order and then laughed.

"You hush," she said with a stern look that gave way to a smile.

"I'll take a grilled cheese and chili fries," he told the waitress.

As they waited for their food, they chatted about making another bowling night with the Thornton's.

"Hi, Dyl! Hi, Ms. Thatcher!" Harper greeted as she walked up to their booth.

"Hey, Harp," Dylan said. "Want to eat with us?"

"Can't. I'm with my parents. Just headed to the bathroom." Elizabeth looked where Harper gestured and she saw them. Ashley was gorgeous. Perfect blond hair, perfect makeup, thin, dressed well. Now she wished she had changed and done her hair.

"Mom," Dylan said after Harper walked away.

"Yeah."

"You're much prettier than her."

"I should have changed," she muttered.

She looked at Jack's table again and fought the urge to leave. Ashley placed her hand on Jack's, leaning close to him.

"Let's just go. I don't want to be here tonight." She looked at the waitress who was approaching with their food. "I'm sorry. Can you box this up? I'm not feeling well."

"Of course."

Ten minutes later, they were on the road again, headed home, Elizabeth fighting her tears.

"Mom, just tell him. I know he likes you too. I can tell. And you are a much better mother than Harper's mom."

"Thanks, baby. Why don't we watch a movie when we get home?"

"Okay."

...

Ashley was getting remarried, of all things. And she was moving out of Texas to Savannah, Georgia. She wanted Harper to be present at her wedding, which was next summer, and maybe even spend Thanksgiving and get to know Adam, her fiancé.

When Harper had gone to the bathroom, she complimented Jack on his parenting, telling him Harper seemed happy, well-adjusted, and more mature than the last time she had seen her.

He didn't know what to think of anything she had mentioned except he did agree that Harper was happier, even if a bit moody.

"Earth to Dad…."

"Huh?"

"I asked if you had seen Ms. Thatcher and Dylan at the diner. They were sitting across the room."

"They were there?"

"Yes. They left pretty quick though."

So, more than likely, Elizabeth had seen him and Ashley and probably wondered why he hadn't told her about the visit. "Great." Now he really needed to talk to her.

…..

Jack laid awake in his bed well into the night. He felt desperate to talk to Elizabeth and straighten everything out. He should have told her Ashley was coming into town. It was as simple as that. Why hadn't he? Mostly, it was that Ashley's presence took him off guard. He didn't have feelings for her anymore. Not in a romantic sense. He was happy for her that she was moving on and wished her all the best. Now more than before he wanted to do whatever was needed to make a future with Elizabeth. It all seemed too good to be true. Especially now that this misunderstanding loomed over them.

He'd sent her a text before going to bed that night, but she had yet to respond.

"Come on Elizabeth. Just reply." Suddenly he worried something was wrong. What if Ray had shown up and something happened to her or Dylan? Even though it was probably just the late hour talking, he needed to know for sure that she was okay.

At the cottage, Elizabeth had spent the past couple hours in and out of sleep. Regardless of whether she was awake or not, her thoughts rested on Jack. He made her happy, so much happier than she could remember feeling in a long time. She'd told herself over and over again that she didn't want a relationship, and had no room or desire for one in her life.

"Who am I kidding?" She growled and climbed out of bed. She went out into the kitchen for a glass of water. Leaning against the counter she thought about all her memories with Jack, both new and old. After all the years and all she'd been through, Jack was still in her heart. He'd probably always be there.

"If he's going to be with Ashley again, I can't stop him. She's Harper's mother. If she wants a chance, I have to let that be okay."

That was easier said than done and she knew it. The memory of Ashley's hand on his at the diner was like daggers in her heart.

"I'll have to cut ties. There's no other way. I can't be around him and not feel something for him. I just can't."

She placed her cup in the sink and headed back up the stairs to her room. She was almost to the top of the stairs when she heard her phone vibrating in the otherwise quiet house.

"Hello?"

"Elizabeth? Thank goodness, are you alright?"

"Jack? Yes, I'm fine. Are you? Why are you calling so late?"

"I, um, well I texted you but I never heard back."

"Oh, I'm fine. Just been a busy night."

"That's all?"

"Yup." Of course that wasn't all, but it was easier than asking "Why didn't you tell me your ex was in town and that you were meeting her and…." Yeah, this was easier.

"Harper said you and Dylan were at the diner tonight."

"Oh, yes. We were."

"You should have said hi."

"You looked busy."

"Not too busy for you." His statement was met with silence. "Elizabeth, about tonight and what you saw…"

"Jack, it's late. Can we talk about this later?"

"Sure. I guess."

"Okay. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Blue Eyes."

…..

The next day Elizabeth woke up feeling like she hadn't slept in a month. The first thing she did was turn on the coffee pot. Today was going to be a large cup of coffee day for sure. She put fruit on the table and pulled the cereals from the cupboard before going to wake up Dylan.

He was acting how she felt that morning. After trying three times to wake him up naturally and receiving numerous extremely annoyed and not pleasant requests to be left alone, she decided to be a little more diabolical.

Taking a small mixing bowl out of the drawer, she filled it with ice and headed back up.

"Last chance Dylan Christopher. 1… 2… 3…"

"Back off," he groaned.

"Alright. You asked for it." She gently poured the ice cubes on his exposed back.

"ARGH!"

Elizabeth bit her tongue to hold her laugh as her son leaped out of bed and danced around trying to get the cold ice as far away from him as possible.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. You were such a pill this morning."

"How is this the answer?" he pointed to the bed.

"Well, you're out of bed, aren't you? And now that the bed is wet, you're not going back to sleep."

He shook his head slowly. "Well played, Mom. Well played."

"Go take a warm shower. I'll have breakfast ready when you get down."

"Okay." He headed off to the bathroom while Elizabeth began cleaning up the ice and stripping the bed. "Did I say something mean in my sleep again?"

"Kind of, yeah."

He winced. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I know you're a sweet son when you're awake." She smiled. "However, I do think it's time we get you your own alarm clock. You're not a little boy anymore."

"Okay."

By the time Dylan made it downstairs, Elizabeth had put the cold cereal back in the cupboard. She placed a warm plate with eggs and bacon in front of him.

"Wow, thanks, Mom. Is this your apology for my wake up treatment?"

"I guess so," she laughed. "You forgive me?"

"I would have anyway, but the bacon is nice."

Elizabeth's phone dinged with a text. It was from Jack. She debated whether to answer or not. As much as she wanted to avoid the topic of him and his ex wife, she did care about Jack and didn't want to be rude.

"Who is it, Mom?"

"Mr. Thornton. Harper would like to ride her bike to school today and he'd feel better if she didn't do it alone."

"I'll ride with her." Dylan took a large sip of his juice. "I'll ride to her house and we can go together."

"You two will be safe? Ride from her house to school and back at the end of the day?"

"I promise it."

She turned back to her phone.

" _Dylan will meet her at ur house in a bit."_

" _Thanks. I feel better about it now. You free to talk today?"_

" _I don't know. I need to check my schedule."_

" _K. Let me know."_

After breakfast Elizabeth loaded up the car for work.

"Dylan, I'm putting the bike rack on the car in case you and Harper don't want to ride home later or the weather goes bad."

"Thanks, Mom." Dylan stood in the shed to the side of the cottage, checking the tires on his bike. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"If I see Dad ever when I'm biking, what should I do?"

Elizabeth hated that he felt the need to ask that question, but grateful that he was smart enough to think of it.

"You get someplace safe and call me right away. If you can't get ahold of me, you can call your grandparents or Aunt Vi."

"Or Mr. Thornton?"

She nodded, knowing that no matter what was going on between her and Jack, he'd always look out for her son. "Yes, or Mr. Thornton."

"Okay."

"Are you worried?"

"Not totally. I just figured if I knew what to do, and something happened, maybe I wouldn't be so freaked out about it."

"Smart boy." She walked over and gave him a hug. "I love you. Stop by the office and let me know you two have made it in, okay?"

"Can do." He put on his helmet and with a wave he was off.


	11. Chapter 11

The school cafeteria was loud as Dylan, Harper and Cody sat down at their usual table for lunch. Harper opened her lunch first and rolled her eyes. Holding up a turkey and cheese with mustard she said, "Anyone want to trade?"

Dylan opened his lunch next. "Tuna with cucumbers."

"Ham and Swiss," said Cody.

"I'll take the tuna," Harper said.

"It's yours." Dylan traded. "But I'm keeping the cookie."

"That's fine. Dad packed Sun Chips. Those I like."

"You don't like turkey sandwiches?" Cody asked, taking a big bite of his own lunch.

"It's not that. It's that it's the same thing over and over. My dad's a great cook, but he's been distracted lately. Maybe I can borrow your mom?" she teased Dylan.

"Careful what you ask for. You don't know how she woke me up this morning."

"How?" Cody and Harper asked together.

"Ice. Lots of ice."

Harper burst out laughing, while Cody looked horrified.

"I deserved it, I guess. I'm not always nice when I'm tired and mostly asleep."

"Maybe you should work on that if you don't want an ice bath in the mornings," Harper suggested and they all laughed.

….

Elizabeth hurried toward her office for her lunch break. Today had been anything but a normal day. Four teachers called in sick and the district was short on subs. When they couldn't find a fourth sub, Elizabeth stepped in to teach. In some ways it was nice. She missed being a classroom teacher. Lately her job consisted of meetings, meetings and more meetings. She enjoyed her job though. Advocating for the school and the students to give them the best opportunities made her feel like she was doing what she was created to do.

She walked into her office and grabbed her lunch from the closet.

"Hey." A male voice startled her from behind.

"Jack! What are you doing here? You scared me." He looked so handsome standing there in his uniform. It was enough to make her dizzy.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's alright. What's up? Harper okay?"

"Yeah, at least I imagine so. I came to talk to you."

"Jack, now's not a good time."

"Why? Elizabeth, what's going on?

"Nothing. It's just that today's not a normal day. I'm subbing today. We're short staffed so I'm teaching one of the seventh grade classes."

"Oh. Sorry. I just assumed you were avoiding me."

"The thought crossed my mind." She looked over at him. It broke her heart a little how sad he looked.

"Blue eyes," he said, stepping closer. "I don't like the look in your eyes. It's like you're hurting."

"I'm fine."

"Look about last night, you need to know…"

She cut him off. "Not now, Jack. Please?"

He sighed. "When?"

"I don't know." Though to herself she thought, _never if you're about to break my heart again._

"What about tonight? We can meet at our old spot on the beach."

"Jack…"

"Elizabeth, I want to see you. Please." He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine." She accepted his hug and returned it with one of her own.

"Fine then. Do this for me?"

His green eyes sparkled in the light that flitted through the window. How could she say no to him, her best friend, more if she'd just admitted it? Then there was the fact that he was standing there looking every bit like the sizzling fireman he was.

"Okay. Tonight."

…..

Later that evening Jack stood in his kitchen making dinner. His parents were over as well.

"Something sure smells good in here," Tom complimented as he entered the kitchen. "What culinary masterpiece are you making tonight?"

"Chicken enchiladas and Spanish rice."

"Nice. By the way," he leaned in closer. "Thanks for saving me from another one of your mother's creations."

Jack grinned. "Any time, Dad."

His dad stayed in the kitchen helping out where needed for the next 20 minutes. Charlotte and Harper were in the other room talking about school and soccer.

Tom looked over at Jack who had just picked up his phone for at least the third time since he'd come in the room.

"What's got you checking your phone so much, son?"

Jack quickly dropped the phone. "Nothing."

"Nothing? I figured it was more like someone. Maybe with long brown hair and pretty blue eyes. Someone you've known forever."

Jack leaned back against the counter. "How'd you know?"

"I may be old but I pay attention to the details. I figured it was only a matter of time before you were tripping over yourself for that woman. You never did get over losing her before."

"No, I didn't. I didn't realize just how bad until recently." He sighed. "And I've screwed up."

"That was years ago, son. Elizabeth doesn't strike me as one to hold a grudge."

"I don't mean then. I mean now."

"Oh boy. What'd you do?"

Jack explained about Ashley's visit, her new relationship and how he neglected telling Elizabeth but she saw them anyway.

"Well, sounds to me like you've got some explaining to do. She needs to know without a shadow of doubt that she can trust you. That's the best gift you can give her after all she's gone through. Think about it, Jack, for all you know she thinks you're fixing to get back together with Ashley."

"I know! It's killing me. I've tried to talk to her about it but she's pushed it off. She agreed to meet me tonight. I'm just afraid she'll cancel."

"Let's hope not. I've always liked her. Your mom too."

"She's wonderful. One of a kind."

"Tell her that sometime."

"There's another thing, she told me she just wanted to be friends."

"Maybe that's changing. She was hurt bad. Whatever you do, don't push."

"I won't. Elizabeth… she means a lot. If there's anyway we can make something work here…"

"What about the kids?"

"Harper and Dylan? They're buds."

"How do you feel about her son?"

Jack smiled. "He's a great kid. I find myself caring more and more for him as we spend time together."

"Well then," Tom smiled. "Choose your words carefully tonight and one day, you may both have something really special."

Unfortunately, that talk would have to be postponed. During dinner, Jack received a call from the station that one of his men had been injured on a call. He would be fine, but they were now down a man for the shift.

He tried to call Elizabeth, but the call went to voicemail. He sent a quick text as he jumped in his truck to head to work.

At the cottage, Elizabeth was cleaning up from dinner while Dylan sat in the living room finishing his reading for school.

"Mom, your phone buzzed."

Drying her hands she walked into the living room to grab her phone.

"What's wrong?" Dylan noticed her facial expression drop as soon as she checked her messages.

"Nothing. Just a change in plans." She put the phone back down on the coffee table and returned to the kitchen.

Curious, Dylan picked up the phone to see who was at the root of this.

"What did Mr. Thornton want?" he whispered. He glanced at his mom again.

….

It was after 9 when Jack pulled back into the fire station after yet another call. He jumped out of the rig and hurried up the stairs, happy to see the next shift crew were all present and accounted for.

He jumped in the shower, trying to get the smell of smoke out of his hair and everywhere else. Normally he'd just wait till he got home. Not tonight. He needed to speak to Elizabeth before another day passed.

Now dressed in his dark jeans, grey tee and his favorite leather jacket, he jumped in his truck for the cottage.

Dylan was up in his room, dressed in his Red Sox PJ pants and hoodie reading from a new book. It wasn't unusual for him to fall asleep reading a book. Elizabeth would come in and gently pry the book from his hands and pull the covers over his shoulders. For years growing up, the world in his books were a nice alternative to his reality. Life was good now, but he still enjoyed a good book.

The doorbell rang, interrupting his journey through a wizarding world. He placed the book down on his bed and looked down out the window into the drive. Relieved that the vehicle in the drive belonged to Jack, and not his father, he hurried downstairs to open the door.

"Hey, Mr. Thornton."

"Hi, Dylan. Is your mom here?"

"She went for a walk on the beach. She wouldn't have gone too far though. You can go talk to her, but I warn you, she's been a little weird the last few days."

"Weird how?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "She seems sad or something."

"Oh." Jack scratched his head. "That might be my fault."

"Yeah, I kind of wondered." Dylan crossed his arms. "So if it's your fault, you can fix it then."

"I intend to, bud. Look, you and your mom mean a lot to me. I never want to hurt her."

"Good. She's back that way."

The moonlight cast a nice soft glow on the ground as Jack rounded the house towards the path at the back of the cottage.

"Jack?" Elizabeth soft voice asked. She was sitting in a well-worn Adirondack chair on the grass, facing the beach beyond behind her cottage. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk. I'm sorry about earlier."

She stood from her chair and wiped her eyes. She had been crying. "That's okay. Is your friend okay?"

"He'll be fine. Minor concussion for some fallen debris. Nothing a few days rest won't cure."

"Oh, good."

"So, Harper told me you and Dylan were at the diner the other night?" He just jumped right in. No time to waste.

"We were. I didn't feel like cooking so we went out."

"And you saw…"

"You and Ashley, yeah. She's very pretty."

"I should have told you she was coming. She called the other night while I was here and… I just got flustered."

"Jack, you don't owe me an explanation."

"I think I do."

"No, you don't. You guys seemed to be getting along nicely. I'm happy for you, Jack."

Jack tilted his head. "Elizabeth, she didn't come here for me. Nothing's changed between her and I. In fact, she's getting remarried."

"What?"

"Yeah. This summer. She's moving to Georgia as well. She came to tell me in person and talk about Harper."

"I see. How do you feel about that?"

He shrugged, "I hope it works out for her and she doesn't make the same mistake twice. Thing is," he took a few steps closer, now standing right in front of her. "It's been a few years. She's moving on, and so am I."

"Oh."

Gently with his thumb he wiped a couple loose tears from her cheek. In a soft voice he asked, "Did I cause these tears?"

"No. I did."

"How so?" He placed his hands on her hips. His touch gave her shivers. He was so close now. It was so invigorating and nerve racking.

"I don't want to lose you, Jack. I saw you there with Ashley and I thought, he's gone, and there's nothing I can do about it."

"I'm not gone, Blue Eyes," he whispered. "I'm right here."

She looked into his deep green eyes. Even with the minimal light from the cottage behind them, they were mesmerizing. She loved him. Possibly even more than when they were kids. Back then she loved the boy Jack, now she loved the man. The strong, handsome loving man that was now so kissably close.

His hand that rested on her hips moved around to the small of her back, gently pulling her against his strong body. Without a word, his lips touched her forehead, lingering there for a long moment.

"Jack…" she could barely get a sound out.

He moved his lips to her cheek. Giving her a soft kiss and whispered, "Do you have any idea how precious you are to me?"

Unable to wait another moment, he moved his lips over hers. Soft and sweet. As he pulled back just a bit, a gentle moan escaped her lips, sending him back to her for more. This time, the kiss was deep. They clung to each other with each slow, rhythmic touch of their lips.

When they finally separated, Elizabeth looked up to see Jack grinning madly at her. "I've been waiting to do that for over half my life."

"Worth the wait?" she asking biting her lip.

"Worth waiting for, and very much worth doing again and again." She laughed and it was an angelic sound. He kissed her nose. "What do you say, Blue Eyes? You and me?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Good. I just have to break one more promise to you then."

She leaned back, giving him a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"

"When we found each other again you made me promise nothing but friendship." With a smile he added, "Sorry but there's no going back from a kiss like that."

Now she laughed. "I think I can live with that."

They leaned in again, thoroughly enjoying their new found closeness. What they didn't realize was they had an audience.

Dylan watched in shock as his mother and Jack kissed. He grabbed the house phone and ran up the stairs.

"Hello?"

"They're kissing!"

"Dylan?" Harper laughed. "Is your mom making you watch a chick flick again?"

"No! I'm living in one!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your dad and my mom… kissing!"

"You're messing with me."

"Oh I wish."

"Gah! Dylan! I have a very visual imagination! I didn't need that imagine in my head!"

"Like I needed it? It happened in my backyard! Might still be happening."

"This… this is… What are they thinking?"

Dylan heard footsteps down stairs. "Gotta go. Mom's inside the house now." He hung up the phone and stood there in the center of his room. Unsure what to do next. He heard Jack's truck start and pull out of the driveway.

For a moment Dylan debated pretending to be asleep and avoiding whatever it was that was now going on. Realizing he still had the house phone in his hand and that whatever just happened probably wasn't going away anytime soon, he decided to go downstairs.

He put the phone on the charger and peered into the kitchen. Elizabeth was standing by the stove making tea. There was a smile on her face. It was different. She looked relaxed.

"So are you with him or something?" he blurted out in perfect preteen tactfulness.

"Dylan!" She jumped. "You scared me."

"Sorry."

"Wait, what did you just ask me?"

"You and Harper's dad. I saw you. Are you together now or something?"

"Oh Dylan… I didn't mean for you to see that. Come sit with me." She grabbed her tea and they moved into the living room. "I'm sorry you saw that, but yes, Mr. Thornton and I… we want to see where this leads now. Together."

"I thought you guys were just friends?"

"We were. We have been for years. To be honest with you, before I met your father, I cared for Mr. Thornton a great deal."

"But you weren't together?"

"No. We were young and both too scared to take that next step. We went to separate schools and met other people."

"So this is like a second chance for you?"

"You could say that, yeah." Elizabeth reached over taking her son's hand. "I need you to know I was not keeping this from you. It literally just happened tonight."

"I know, Mom. I trust you."

"Thank you. Now, be honest with me Dylan, what do you think of Mr. Thornton?"

"I don't know. He's pretty cool, I guess. Always really nice. Kind of the opposite of Dad."

"Yes. He's a very good man."

The glow in her smile as she spoke was clear as day. This might be an adjustment, but Dylan didn't want to do anything to hurt his mom. She was happy. He wanted to keep her that way. Besides, wasn't he just telling her to tell the guy how she felt. Maybe he hadn't thought that advice through. Too late now.

"Alright Mom, you can see Mr. Thornton. But if he wants to marry you one day, he better ask me first."

Elizabeth bit her lip as she smiled. "Should it ever come to that, I'll make sure he knows."

"Okay." Dylan turned to head back up the stairs but turned around. "I want you happy, Mom. You deserve someone really good."

"Thanks, honey."

"I hope Mr. Thornton is as good as talking about this as you are. Harper was flipping out."

"Wait, you told Harper? Dylan Christopher, that wasn't your information to tell!"

Dylan laughed. "Let be real, Mom. In the big picture, what I did is nowhere near the bomb you two just dropped in my own backyard!"

Elizabeth covered her reddening face with one of the plush couch pillows.

"Night, Mom," Dylan said with a laugh.

"Night hon…"

…..

Jack pulled into the driveway of his home, still smiling from ear to ear. After sharing many memorable kisses, the two discussed how to proceed. They were together, finally, but they wanted to make this change as easy on both their kids as possible.

As he got out of the car he looked up. Harper's bedroom lights were off. That gave Jack hope that maybe he had some time to figure out what to say to her.

He climbed the steps to the front door, stopping in his tracks.

"Harper…"

There on the stoop stood his beautiful, long blond haired little girl, but right now, if looks could kill, Jack would have been a dead man.

"Seriously, Dad!"

"Harper, what's up?"

"My best friend's mom… my principal!"

"How do you…"

"Dylan called me. He saw you."

"Where's Nana and Pop?"

"Asleep on the couch. What were you thinking?"


	12. Chapter 12

After saying goodbye to his parents, Jack hurried upstairs to talk with Harper. She was sitting on her bed, holding her pillow.

"Okay, Harper, let's talk about it." He sat on her desk chair facing her. "Tell me what you are feeling."

"I don't know!" she yelled.

"Hey, change your tone, please," he told her, using a stern tone of his own.

She took a few deep breaths and looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "Dad, she is my principal. What if you break up with her? Not only will it be awkward at school but I won't be able to go over to my best friend's house again, maybe not even talk to him again. That's not fair!"

He moved over next to her and dried her cheeks with a tissue. "Honey Bee, I have no intention of breaking up with her."

"So you're going to get married? That's even worse!"

"We are not getting married anytime soon. But just so I know, why would that be worse?"

"Because Dylan would be my brother! And I don't need a mom. I have one. Sort of."

"Of course you do and she wouldn't be taking your mom's place. She would be a second mom to you."

"Dad, I just…I was just getting used to school and being with you here and now everything is changing again. Mom is getting married again and now this." She cried again, this time leaning into his chest. "I don't want things to change again."

"I know, sweetheart. Change can be hard, but maybe this change will be easier to handle."

"I doubt it." He kissed her forehead and held her for a moment.

"Time for bed." He stood up and held her covers up for her and then tucked her in just like he had when she was a much younger child. "I love you so much, honey bee. Nothing will ever change that. I promise."

"I love you too, Dad."

Jack left Harper's room and went to his own, putting his phone on his bed and headed to the shower. A half hour later, he climbed into bed and looked at his phone. He had a few texts from Elizabeth.

"Jack, u awake?" and "Call me when u get this, please."

He pushed the call button and she picked up immediately.

"Uh, we may have a problem," she told him.

"Yeah, Harper told me. We just had a talk."

"How did that go?"

"Well, I don't know how to answer that. She cried a lot."

"Because of me?"

"No, mostly because everything is changing. Her mom is getting married and now this. It's overwhelming her."

"It would overwhelm anyone."

"I know but…" he groaned. "So many tears."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Well, she is almost twelve."

"Twelve year olds cry a lot, do they?"

"Yes, and they keep crying for a few years past that."

"Goodie."

"Just listen to her. Most of the time, hormones are driving the tears and just like any woman, she probably just needs someone to hear what she is saying."

"She's not a woman. She's my baby. I don't know if I like this hormone thing you are talking about."

Elizabeth laughed again. "Well, sweetie. You don't really have a choice."

He was quiet for a moment. "Sweetie, huh?"

"Yeah. I think it fits."

"Are we at that point? Nicknames or terms of endearment and all that?"

"You call me Blue Eyes and the way you say it absolutely makes it a term of endearment."

"Good point. What did Dylan think?"

"He was so supportive. He said he just wants me happy and you make me happy so that's a good thing."

"Wow. There is a big difference between girls and boys, isn't there?"

There was a silent moment before she spoke again. "So….this thing we are doing."

"Relationship?"

"Yes, relationship. It's going to be good, I think."

"It's going to be better than good, Elizabeth. It's going to be great. In fact, what are you doing Friday night?"

"Well, I was going to clean out my closet…."

"Funny. I think we should go to dinner."

"A first date?"

"Absolutely."

"I would love to, Jack."

"Great."

They chatted a while longer and then hung up, both happier than they had been in a long time.

…..

As excited as going out to eat with Jack as his date made Elizabeth, it didn't stop her from getting sick. She caught a bad cold a few days later and called in to work. Jack found out when he took her coffee, only to be told by Florence that she was sick.

So he drove to the grocery store, bought some ingredients and then made her his famous chicken stew, taking it to her with a bouquet of flowers.

He knocked on her door but he could see her on the couch and she was covered head to toe with a heavy blanket and a pile of used Kleenex next to her on the floor. He took a chance and tried the door, which was unlocked. He would remind her about locking that later.

He quietly entered the house and put the soup on the stove to keep warm. Then he found a vase on the top of the fridge and put her flowers in it. Finally, he brought her a bottle of water and headed back into the living room.

He didn't want to wake her, so he in the recliner next to the couch and pulled out his cell to pass the time.

An hour later, she woke up and looked at the recliner. "Jack?" she croaked out, immediately coughing with the effort.

"Hey, Blue Eyes. How are you feeling?"

"Death warmed over about covers it. What are you doing here?'

"I made you chicken and corn stew. I heard you were sick." He got up and knelt by the couch, kissing her forehead. "You have a fever, honey. Do you need to go to the doctor?"

She coughed more and then groaned. "No. I'm fine."

"If you say so."

"I do." She knew she must look terrible, so she covered her head with the blanket.

"Are you asleep?" Jack asked quietly a moment later.

"Yes."

"Do you want me to get you some stew? I've been told it works miracles."

"Sure. Just a small bowl. I don't have much of an appetite." Elizabeth slowly sat up, leaning her head against the back of the couch.

He found her bowls right away, grabbed a spoon, and brought the steaming bowl to her. "Here you go. Want me to feed you?" he teased.

"I don't think that's necessary, but thank you." She gave him a smile and took a bite. "Mmm." It was an involuntary reaction but it summed up how wonderful the warmth felt as she ate.

He put his arm around her and kissed her temple. "You are beautiful."

That made her snort which made her cough. "Stop. I am not. I am so far from beautiful right now…"

"If you say so."

"I do." She ate about half the bowl and handed it to him. "I'm finished. Thank you for bringing me stew."

"You are most welcome." He touched her cheek and kissed her nose. When she realized he was going to kiss her mouth, she stopped him with a gentle touch to his chest.

"No kisses. I don't want you to catch this."

"I'll take my chances."

"Sweetie, I have not brushed my teeth this morning and I feel gross. Just wait a few days."

He wasn't going to push. He wanted her trust him so he nodded and kissed her forehead and cheeks. "I'll text you later. But let me know if you change your mind about the doctor. I would be happy to take you."

"Thank you, Jack." He helped her lay back down and then he covered her with the blankets, turned the stove off, and left the house a few moments later.

….

Elizabeth went back to work a few days later, feeling a bit better but now Dylan had it. Grace came to stay with him while Elizabeth worked, thankfully.

She sat at her desk and opened her email. She started answering them, apologizing for not responding as quickly as she normally would when she heard a knock at her door.

"Come in."

Jack popped his head in wearing his uniform and smiled. "Hey, Blue Eyes. Feeling better?"

"Enough to be here," she said, smiling back. She watched him shut the door and approach with a cup of coffee in his hand. "Is that for me?"

"Of course." He handed it to her, sitting on the edge of her desk next to her chair. He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Any chance I could kiss you now?"

"I'm still sick, Jack."

"But you brushed your teeth."

"Yes."

"Then I will take my chances."

She blushed a little at his insistence. "Okay then. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"I take full responsibility for whatever happens." He leaned down and gently kissed her lips. "Yeah. I'm pretty sure I want to do that every day for the rest of my life."

"What exactly are you saying, Jack?" She sat back in her chair and sipped her coffee, a bit of a challenge in her eyes.

"Nothing yet. Just making a statement."

"I think we should try to go out on Friday. On our date. What do you think?"

"I absolutely agree."

"Providing you didn't catch my cold. I am positive you will not feel like going out with me if you get this."

"I'll be fine. I'll drink extra orange juice." He started to walk away and then turned back and kissed her again, this time, a bit longer, a bit more passionate. "Mmm. Talk later?"

"Yeah."

…..

Jack smiled at himself as he drove back to work. He had come precariously close to telling her that he loved her. Very, very, very close. And he did love her. The woman had his heart and had for years. Now, if he could just get her to the point where she completely trusted him, that he would care for her and Dylan, and that he would never do what Ray had done. She was precious to him and he was going to make sure she always knew that.

His phone buzzed on the seat of his truck so he hit the Bluetooth button on his dash. "Hello?"

"Mr. Thornton?"

"Dylan? How are you feeling, bud?"

"Terrible."

"Do you need me to get you something?"

"No. I just wanted to know if you would like to help me plan a birthday dinner for my mom."

Jack thought about it. He had forgotten when her birthday was. "When's her birthday?"

"November 5th."

"Whoa. Next week. Yeah, of course I will help you."

"Great. Thanks!"

"You're welcome. Now go get some rest and let me know what you want me to do."

"Ok. Thanks again."

….

A few days later, it was Friday night. Elizabeth sat in the passenger seat of Jack's truck, looking amazing. He sneaked a peek of her every couple minutes, hardly believing this was happening. Finally after so many years, they were getting their chance.

"So where are we going?" Elizabeth asked, putting her hand on top of his where it rested on the console.

"Claws and Gills."

"Huh?"

"Claws and Gills. It's a seafood place on the coast, outside of town."

"Jack, have you been there before?"

"Nope. But the guys in the station have. They said it's amazing. We need to try the lobster bisque."

"If I get food poisoning from a place called Claws and Gills, I will never live it down. Florence will probably insist on planning our dates from now on."

"We won't. They have been open for years. I googled it and they get a lot of good reviews."

"Okay." Elizabeth tried not to laugh. A place named that would not have been on her list of first date romantic spots, but she was game. She wanted to be with Jack and she was a good sport.

"You look beautiful tonight."

"You look pretty great yourself." Seriously, she had never seen him look better. Somehow though, no matter what he wore, she was always amazed at how he made her heart beat a bit faster. She had never really felt that way about Ray. Only Jack. Back when they were kids and now.

"Thanks." He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. "I'm happy we are doing this."

"Me too. I'm happy you didn't get sick."

"You don't understand how hard it was not to kiss you for a few days. Seriously, Blue Eyes. I thought I wasn't going to make it."

"Stop. You are crazy," she said with a laugh.

"Okay, I'm joking, but once we kissed for the first time, things changed for me."

"Changed for both of us."

He nodded. "I realized that I need you in my life."

"Don't say something you will regret saying so soon, Jack." She looked serious so he dialed it back.

"That is all I am saying." He pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and walked around to open her door for her. He offered his hand and she accepted it, sliding out of the truck.

He may not have said the words, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes to her. She knew what he was feeling. She just wasn't quite in the same place yet. She had loved him for years yes, but after the Ray craziness, she wasn't sure she was ready to be in such a serious relationship so quickly. She just needed to think it all through.

When they walked back out of the restaurant two hours later, they were both satisfied. The lobster bisque was great. As was the shrimp scampi, the clam chowder and the cheddar garlic biscuits.

"I am pretty sure that I just gained five pounds in the last two hours," she said as they walked to the truck.

"So worth it though," he said, patting his stomach. "Don't you think?"

"Oh yeah." He stepped close to her, so close she had to tip her head back a bit to look in his eyes. "I love your eyes," she whispered.

"I love….your eyes too," he stuttered. Good heavens. He almost blurted it again. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him, inhaling his aftershave or cologne or whatever it was that was weaving its spell around her heart.

"Somehow, I don't think that was what you were going to say."

"Very true but all in good time, honey. All in good time." He leaned down and gave her a kiss. At this moment, he forced himself to just be grateful for her and Dylan and his life the way it was. The time would come and he wouldn't have to hold back and she would know all of what he felt.


	13. Chapter 13

Saturday morning Elizabeth woke up feeling like all was right in the world. The night before had been the most memorable she could remember in a long time. The whole night she'd felt like a precious gem with Jack. He was attentive, caring, and very affectionate; yet not in a way that made her feel uncomfortable.

It was clear that Jack was progressing further along in his feelings than she was. Or at least more than she was ready to admit. The more she thought about Jack the night before, the weaker her restraint to not fall head over heels for him was.

 _Would it be so bad,_ she thought. _To let myself love Jack, and be loved by him?_

Rolling over she checked the time on her phone. She had a couple hours till she picked Dylan up at her parent's place. She also had a text from Jack.

" _If you get this, I have time before I get H from my parents. Breakfast?"_

" _If you still have time I can be ready in 20."_

" _I'll pick you up. See you soon."_

Elizabeth quickly hopped out of bed and jumped into the shower. When she got out she pulled on a pair of form fitting jeans and a light blue flowing knit top.

She had just enough time for a bit of makeup and a little hair fussing before Jack knocked on the door downstairs.

She opened the door then turned to grab her jacket off the hook. "Good morning, Jack!"

"Good morning to you." He stepped inside and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling in her close for a kiss. It was supposed to be short and sweet, but it quickly became deep and moving.

"Wow," she gasped as he pulled back, clearly happy with the kiss herself.

"Sorry. You just look so great this morning and I… I just had to."

"No need to apologize. That was… great."

Jack held out his hand. "Shall we?"

After some discussion, they decided on a cute little restaurant right on the water. They held hands the whole drive there. Elizabeth sang along to the song playing on the radio.

"I've missed listening to you sing."

"I was better back then."

"From where I'm listening, you still sound amazing. The times we've met and sang on the beach lately, you sounded perfect."

They pulled into the busy little restaurant and managed to get a small table by the window. As soon as they were seated, Jack stretched out his hand to take hers, wasting no time. They talked about the weather and the week ahead until after they'd placed their orders.

Elizabeth noticed Jack staring at her, causing butterflies to flutter like mad in her stomach.

"What?"

"Just looking at you." He smiled. "I've been thinking a lot about our date last night."

"Me too."

"I'm so happy we're doing this." He lifted her hand to his lips.

"So am I. I want this Jack. For you and I to have a shot. I want you to know that without any doubts."

"I feel the same." He leaned back, taking her all in. She was beautiful, sweet, everything he wanted right now and would ever want. "I know we need to tread lightly. We have the kids to think about."

"Right. I don't want to hurt either of them like they were with our previous marriages."

"Exactly. Harper's still navigating it but she's a good kid. I have hope that in time she'll understand."

"What might help us is not throwing this in her face a lot."

Jack sighed, "You're probably right. So, we'll go out when we can. Talk on the phone and skype in the evenings after the kids are all set." Jack scratched the side of his head. "But I want us to do things together too. With the kids. If we're going to have a future together, we need to see what that looks like."

"I want that too. This is a new start. For all of us. Let's just be patient."

"And take our time."

With a sweet, flirty smile she added, "And enjoy the time we take?"

He nodded. "I'm all about enjoying things."

After their breakfast date, Jack dropped Elizabeth back off at her cottage and then headed to his parents house to see Harper. His baby girl had been acting so strange lately. She had always been a kid who could hold onto her soft demeanor even under the rough circumstances of their family life. Now, she was a rolling dark cloud of teenage angst. It was unnerving for a single father.

"Hey, Dad. How was she?"

"An angel as always, son."

"Really?" Jack whispered. "That's great."

"She and your mother watched movies and ate cookie dough or something like that. I asked if they wanted me to cook it for them and they looked at me like I had three heads, go figure. They're eating raw cookie dough and I'm the crazy one?"

Jack laughed. "You're not female, Dad. That's all."

"Don't I know that!" Tom chuckled. "They went out for a walk, should be back soon."

"Great."

Jack had a great talk with his dad about life and how things were going with Elizabeth and Harper's apparent feelings toward it all. Tom suggested they do exactly what it was they were doing. Take their time, and put the kids first.

They stayed for lunch at Charlotte's pleading. Jack didn't mind. He had the day off and all he had planned was to spend it with Harper. After enjoying burgers on the grill and potato salad, Jack grabbed his daughters overnight pack and placed it in the bed of the truck.

"Sounds like you had a great time with Nana, huh, Honey Bee?"

"Yeah. It was fun." She looked over at her dad. He looked happy. Ridiculously happy. For some reason, that annoyed her. "Do I want to know how last night went?" Harper's tone was dripping with attitude. Much more than she had expected. Being a stubborn young teen, and feeling like she couldn't take it back, she held her ground with a face that echoed her emotions.

"Wow, Harper. If you check your tone maybe I'll tell you."

"That's okay. I don't need to hear about you making-out with my principal and best friend's mom." She put her sneaker clad feet up on the dash. Jack tapped her leg immediately to put them down.

"Is this how its always going to be? You mad at me?"

"I'm not mad."

"You aren't?"

"I don't know. I'm just cranky alright? Aren't I allowed to be? Why do I need a reason?"

"Okay. We don't need to talk about this anymore then. Not until your ready. But I'd like you to try Harp, at some point."

Harper looked at her dad. He now seemed discouraged and a lot less happy. "I'm sorry. You can tell me a little, I guess. Not the kissing part though. Did you guys have a good time?"

"You sure you want me to answer?"

"Yeah."

"We did. She's a special person and really great to talk to. It was nice."

"You care a lot about her?"

"Yeah I do. She was my best friend once, and is again. I'm very lucky."

"Sorry, Dad. I'll try more."

"I get it, Harper. I do. Change is hard."

….

Things at Elizabeth's house had gotten a little more exciting. When William dropped him back off at the cottage from his weekend visit, he had something special packed away in the back of his SUV.

Now she sat on the couch having a cup of coffee with her Dad as they listened to the sound of Dylan upstairs with his new gift.

"A drum set, Dad? Really?"

"He's a drummer! He needed one eventually."

"A little heads up would have been nice."

"If I had given you a heads up would you have let me get it or even let him keep it?"

She smirked, "Probably not, no."

"Now you know why I didn't."

"You are such a pain, Dad!"

"Maybe so but you're smiling."

This was true. Dylan wailed on the drums some more and she winced. "I don't suppose lessons came with the drums, did they?"

"Of course they did! You think I'd make you listen to that forever?" He laughed pointing up the stairs. "Once a week, at the man's studio in town. His name is Alec Flynn."

She winced again as Dylan hit the cymbals hard. "I guess he can only get better from here right?"

"I guess so," William laughed. "By the way, there are earplugs and Tylenol on the kitchen counter."

"Smart, Dad. Thank you."

…..

For the next few days things seemed to be pretty normal. Jack and Harper spent time together when she wasn't busy with soccer or homework and him with work. Jack and Dylan exchanged emails and a few secret phone calls about Elizabeth's surprise birthday party.

Elizabeth spent a number of hours outside, bundled up with her book while Dylan alternated between pounding on his new drum set and fiddling with her old guitar. Neither sounded all that pleasant. Finally surrendering, she went upstairs, waving her hands to get his son's attention.

"Here's the deal, you want to play guitar, let's learn something. Pick a song, find chords online and I'll work on it with you."

"For real?"

"Oh yeah. My ears need saving, love." She laughed as Dylan rushed to the computer to find chords for his favorite songs.

Every evening after the kids were in their rooms asleep, Jack and Elizabeth would find a quiet place to sit and skype together. It wasn't the same as physically being together, but it was something.

"I need a vacation. Or better yet, my ears do."

"How's our future rock star?"

"Don't ever let him hear you say that." She laughed. "He's fast asleep and I can still hear him in my head."

"I remember what that was like with Tom. It got better once Dad built him a soundproof room in the garage."

"Is that room still there?"

"It is… It's crammed with stuff from where when we moved but I could clean it out if you wanted."

"No, I won't do that to you. Dylan would probably live there if I did that."

"Come visit all the time and I won't mind one bit."

"Your daughter might."

"She's coming around. I think."

"I hope so. I don't want this to be hard for her. She's a sweet girl."

"She is. Something's still going on though. Her mood swings, my gosh. Almost reminds me of her mother."

Elizabeth laughed. "Like I've been saying, she's a young girl. Changes are happening. Not just in her life but to her…"

"Nope!" Not hearing it."

"Jack…"

"Let me ride down the sea of denial a little longer, alright?"

"Aye aye, captain, but you may not have much time left on this one."

"I might need some help."

"You have me. As much as Harper is willing to allow."

He stared at her beautiful face through the screen. The desire to tell her he loved her was almost overpowering.

"You're really something, Blue Eyes. I'm so happy you're in my life again."

"So am I, Jack."

On Wednesday Elizabeth had a district meeting after school. Jack offered to pick up Dylan and take him with him to Harper's soccer game in the next town. She appreciated it. Even though they'd hadn't heard from Ray for a little while, she was nervous of Dylan being alone in the cottage.

Harper was riding to the game with her team, so that left Jack and Dylan with some guy time in the truck. This was the first time the two of them had been together since everything changed. For the first 10 miles of their drive, they sat silently staring at the road.

"You want some music on?" Jack asked.

"Sure."

"Passenger's choice. There's an old iPod in the glove compartment. See if there's anything on there you like."

"Okay." Dylan reached it and took the iPod out and plugged it into the dash and began scrolling through its contents. "Wow, you've got a lot of stuff on here."

"Yeah, I've had it for a while."

"I take it some of this stuff is Harper's and not yours?"

"What was your first clue?" Jack laughed.

"I don't know. You don't really look like a Katy Perry kind of guy. Not that I'm sure what that kind of guy would look like."

"Ah yeah. Those songs are definitely Harper's."

Dylan snorted and kept scrolling. "What's this playlist? ET Songs?"

"Oh, that… um."

"Is ET my mom?"

Jack glanced over seeing the narrow eyed look Dylan was giving him. It was unnerving until he noticed something special. Dylan looked so much like Elizabeth. He had her angry teacher face down pat. When they were younger, Jack would refer to it as her "angry camp counselor face."

"Two things, yes that's a playlist of songs that have always reminded me of your mom and of our time growing up."

"And the second thing?"

"You look like your mom when you make that face."

Dylan's face softened. "Yeah? I was afraid I looked just like my dad."

"You look a little like him, but you're more like your mom. You definitely act like your mom and not him."

"Good. I don't wanna be anything like him. I want to be… I don't know. Maybe like you." Curiosity took over and Dylan hit play on the ET playlist. He recognized a number of the songs. "So do these songs bring up good memories for you?"

"Some of my best. Outside of the thousands I have with Harper. She has a playlist named for her too."

Dylan nodded. "I think these songs mean a lot to my mom too. Maybe that's why she's plays them."

"She does?"

He nodded. "I recognize a lot of them from her Spotify playlist. She has a bunch but these are on the ones she goes to a lot. Has as long as I can remember. I think it's called "Sunshine" or something."

Jack didn't know what to say, so he simply nodded.

"I know the answer to this I think, but I wanna ask. Is that okay?"

"Go for it, bud."

"You're not going to turn out to be a class A jerk are you? I mean, Harper says you're great and I like you. Mom's the happiest I've ever seen her but… it's my job to protect her. I didn't do it before and I feel like dirt about that, but I will from now on. Even from you if I have to."

Jack pulled the truck off on a small look out point to the right. With the truck in park, he turned to Dylan and put his hand on his shoulder.

"I'll be honest with you, Dylan. Always. I'm not perfect, but I care about you and your mom so much. I don't want you to have to worry about your mom when it comes to me. I can't say that we won't fight now and then, we are human after all. But I will never, ever treat her with anything less than respect and love. She deserves that, and so do you."

Dylan felt a little emotional at Jack's heartfelt answer. He cleared his throat and mustered out a, "Cool. Thanks."

"Anytime."

They showed up at the game with 15 minutes to spare. Jack took two camp chairs out of the back of the truck and handed one to Dylan. Once they found a perfect spot they settled in for the game.

"Here." Jack handed Dylan a thermos. "Hot chocolate."

"Nice. Thanks, Mr. Thornton." He opened the thermos and took in the warmth. "Hey, did Mom tell you I got a drum set?"

Jack laughed, "Yeah, you got lessons too?"

"Yup. Had one yesterday. The guy's cool. He has this awesome home studio and a couple different drum sets. He can even record us."

"Nice, glad you're enjoying it."

When the game started, Jack realized how much fun it was to have another loud person in the Harper cheering section. There was no calming down Dylan as the game went on.

"Go, Harp! Go!" Dylan cheered loudly now standing on the sidelines. When she scored, Dylan leaped in the air. "Way to go! Yeah!"

After the game Dylan ran up and gave Harper a high-five. Jack smiled as he waited back. The kids walked over and were already deeply engaged in conversation about the game.

"Dad, did you see? I got 2 goals today!"

"I did! You were awesome!" He hugged her tight, lifting her off the ground.

"Since we won can we stop at Taco Bell on the way home? I saw one on the bus ride here."

"I think that can be arranged." He tossed his phone to Dylan. "Call your mom and see if it's okay. We can pick her something up if she wants."

"Cool. I'll do that."

Dylan called as they all walked back to the truck. "Hey, Mr. Thornton. Mom wants to talk to you."

"Alright. You kids get in." He walked a few paces away to take the call more privately. "Hey, Blue Eyes. How was your meeting?"

"Not too bad. Way too long. Dylan said you wanted to stop for food on the way?"

"Yeah, just the drive thru."

"So the kids are getting along?"

"Yeah. Whatever anxiety they have over us doesn't seem to be affecting their friendship. To tell you the truth they act like siblings already sometimes. Though they probably get along better than if they were."

"Probably," she laughed. "Well, if you've got Dylan's dinner covered I'll go grab a quick bite and do some stuff around the house."

"Perfect. See you when I drop him off."

"Alright. Be safe."

"I will."

The conversation on the drive home started out with the kids recapping the game play-by-play over tacos and burritos. Jack didn't mind. He had always wanted more kids. Ashley insisted one was more than enough, and he never pushed it. This was giving him a glimpse of what it would be like, and he loved it.

When there was a break in conversation, Jack decided to bring up Elizabeth's birthday party. Hoping it wouldn't be a sore spot for Harper. He wanted her to be involved, but only if she was ready and willing.

"So Dyl, any more thoughts about your mom's birthday?"

"I don't know. I'm not really sure what I'm doing. My aunt Vi is taking her out for the afternoon though and bringing her back to the house around 5 o'clock. Some girl thing."

"Good plan. I ordered a cake from that old bakery I was telling you about."

"They had a cannoli cake?"

"Oh yeah. It's amazing too."

"Great. That's one of Mom's favorites. Grandma would get it for her all the time, but it's been forever since we've been with them for her birthday."

"Well, she'll have it this year." Jack grinned back at the boy from the driver seat. "Do you know what you want us to cook for dinner?"

"No. I know I said I'd think of something but I have no idea."

Harper sat silent in the front passenger seat of the truck. She wanted to be angry and annoyed at the conversation and the changes happening in her life, but she couldn't. This was a nice thing Dylan, her best friend, was trying to do for his mom. After all she'd gone through, she deserved to feel special for once. Besides, it wasn't that she didn't like Ms. Thatcher. She actually really liked her. It was just the change her presence represented she wasn't sure about.

"What if you made Greek food?" she suggested.

"Greek?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. Dylan told me a while ago Ms. Thatcher's always wanted to go to Greece. Wasn't there a Greek restaurant near your house in DC she loved?"

"Yes!" Dylan practically bounced in his seat. "I don't remember what it was she ordered all the time though."

"Dad, may I use your phone?"

"Sure, Honey Bee."

She took his cell and download an app to it. A few minutes later she spoke, "Okay, Dad. You now have a Pinterest account."

"I have a what now?"

"It's like a search engine where you can organize all your ideas and thoughts and there's pictures and stuff."

"And you know about this how?"

"Mom loves it."

"Ah, okay. And why do I have it?"

"Dylan, look up Greek food and save anything that looks like what your mom ordered or if it just looks good. Then we'll have ideas to go off of."

"Awesome! Thanks, Harp!"

Jack gave his daughter a wink, he wanted her to know he appreciated the olive branch she was extending. Now they just needed to keep that olive branch around. He was much more comfortable with this Harper than the moody one.


	14. Chapter 14

Saturday night, it was time for Elizabeth's birthday dinner. Jack and Harper knocked on the door at the cottage around 3pm that afternoon. It gave them two hours to get the food done and the table set for dinner.

Jack was pleasantly surprised Harper wanted to come, especially since she had the option to go to her Nana and Papa's house. Instead, she said she would come decorate the dining room and living room with balloons and streamers.

Jack found Dylan in the kitchen staring at the food in the refrigerator. "Hey, bud. How's it going?"

"Hi, Mr. Thornton. I hope this turns out okay."

"It will. If not, it's the thought that counts, right?"

"I guess."

"Don't worry. I can follow a recipe and I've cooked Greek before."

"That's good. I haven't cooked… well anything."

Jack had studied the recipe beforehand and had picked out things that Dylan could definitely do. They were making Chicken Souvlaki and Lemon rice and Jack had purchased some hummus and pita chips for an appetizer. Then for dessert he had picked up the cannoli cake and she was going to love that for sure.

"Grandma said she was bringing Greek pasta salad and spanakopita."

"Yum. I can't wait to eat all this."

As they cooked and chopped and diced, it was mostly quiet until Jack suggested that Dylan play some music on his ipod. So then it was much more entertaining. After Harper finished decorating, she joined them in the kitchen. Surprising Jack again, she sang along to the lyrics, not holding back.

"Wow! You're good!" Dylan told her. "You should be in the school choir."

"Nah. I don't like to sing in front of a lot of people." Harper's cheeks turned red just thinking about it.

"You could though. You could sing circles around everyone else."

"I think so too," Jack threw in.

"Dad. You know I don't like to be in front of people. Can we just drop it?"

"I would do it with you," Dylan told her.

Harper looked at her best friend. She had no idea why he would offer to do that. "You can sing?"

"I'm not terrible, I don't think. But I could always get better."

"Dylan, I just don't want to. Thank you for offering though."

"Okay," he said with a shrug.

Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher and Cooper, Vi's son, showed up shortly after that conversation so Dylan re-introduced Harper and Jack to his grandparents.

"This is my friend Harper Thornton and her dad Jack."

William shook his hand. "Jack, good to see you again."

"You too, sir." Jack was glad he seemed to be accepting him now. Must have just needed time.

…..

Vi drove around a bit after she and Elizabeth had finished at the salon. After a mani/pedi, a facial, and a massage, she had run out of stuff to do to keep her away from home.

Now they had thirty minutes before they were expected.

"Where are we going, Vi?" She noticed Vi had driven aimlessly for the last twenty minutes.

"Just driving around. It's a nice evening."

"True, but why not just go home?"

"I just want to spend extra time with you. We don't do things just the two of us very often."

"No, I guess we usually have the boys. Let's go get some coffee then."

"Great idea."

They sat in a booth at Geno's coffee about ten minutes later. "So what's going on with you and Jack?"

"What do you mean?" Vi raised her eyebrows. "Alright. We decided to date."

"I knew it! That's so great. You two are perfect for each other. Always were."

"I guess our timing when we were 18 wasn't right."

"And you were a chicken," Vi said with a smile.

"So was he!" They laughed.

"How good a kisser is he?" Vi asked in almost a whisper.

"Vi!"

"Come on, Beth. Give me something."

"He amazes me. He can tell me how he feels without saying a word," she confessed, blushing.

"How do you feel?"

"What is this? 20 questions?"

"Nah. I'll cap it at 10."

"I'm still in love with him. After 16 years, Vi. How is it possible?"

"Because what you feel is real. Time doesn't make that disappear."

"We are going slow. His daughter isn't thrilled and Dylan…well, I just think maybe slow is best." Elizabeth finished her coffee. "Now, can you take me home, please?"

"Sure."

As they pulled up to the cottage, Elizabeth gasped. "Viola! What's happening?"

"With what?" she asked innocently.

"Jack's truck and Mom and Dad's car. And I see balloons and streamers through the window. What did you do?"

"It wasn't me. My job consisted of you staying away from the house until 5pm. Which it is right now. Let's go inside."

Inside, Cooper announced their arrival. "Mom and Aunt Beth are here! And they are walking to the door." Everyone took their places in a semi circle in the living room.

The door opened and everyone yelled, "Happy Birthday!"

Jack winked at her when her eyes met his. She gave everyone a hug and then walked up in front of Jack. "You remembered my birthday?"

"I can't take the credit. Dylan told me. Do I get a hug?" he asked boldly, well aware everyone was staring.

She walked into his open arms and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"Mom, Mr. Thornton and I cooked!" Dylan told her.

"You did?"

"Yeah! Greek food."

"Yum. Jack can cook Greek very well. It smells great."

"Let's say a blessing and then we can eat," Jack suggested. He put one arm around Harper and held Elizabeth's hand with his free hand.

"Dear God, bless this food that we are about to eat. Also bless this family as we spend the evening together. Thank you for all the wonderful things you give us daily and forgiving us when we make mistakes. Through Jesus name, Amen."

"Amen."

After dinner, they moved to the living room and she opened gifts. "You didn't need to give me anything. Just spending time together is plenty."

"Nonsense," Grace said. "Dylan, you want to go first?"

He stood and gave her a flat box. She smiled and carefully unwrapped the box, slowly.

"Come on, Blue Eyes. Rip it open."

"I can use the paper for something else. Patience," she said with a smile. Finally she had the box free. "Oh, Dylan! This is great!" It was a selfie they had taken at bowling the last time they had gone in a nice frame, both of them sticking their tongues out.

She stood and hugged him. "Thank you, sweetheart. I love it. And the food was great." Dylan smiled and gave a thumbs up to Jack.

"Your turn, Grandma," Dylan told Grace.

Grace handed Elizabeth an envelope. Elizabeth opened it. "Tickets? To Florida and Disney World? Thank you!"

"Yahoo!" Dylan said. "We've never been there!"

Harper watched Dylan, a bit of jealousy in her heart. She had always wanted to go there. Dad had always worked so much and Mom said it was a waste of money.

Jack knew how much she had always wanted to go and he saw her face fall when she realized Dylan was going. He promised himself he would take her very soon.

"Your turn, Harper," Grace told her.

Harper stood and walked to the kitchen, returning with a bouquet of pink roses.

"Happy Birthday, Ms. Thatcher. These are from me and my dad."

"Thank you, Harper. Pink roses are my favorite." Elizabeth put the flowers down and gave Harper a hug. "Thank you so much, sweetie."

"You're welcome."

Elizabeth gave Jack a side hug and a smile. "They're lovely."

"You're lovely, Blue Eyes," he whispered in her ear, pressing his lips to her temple.

"Meet me on the beach later?"

….

Later, after Dylan was in bed and her parents offered to stay with him, Elizabeth walked down to the beach where they used to meet in high school with their friends. As she walked, she heard the waves on the shore and the crisp air made her shiver. As she got closer, she heard his guitar and saw the fire he had lit in the pit. He looked so handsome by fire light. Her heart sped up, reminding her what she felt.

"Hey," she said, taking a seat next to him on the

"Hey, Blue Eyes. Did you enjoy your birthday?"

"I did. Thank you."

He put his guitar down and grabbed an oblong black box with a red ribbon. "For you." He turned toward her and smiled.

"You've given me so much, Jack."

"Open," he whispered.

She untied the ribbon and removed the lid. "Oh, Jack. Its beautiful." He gently took the delicate gold bracelet and fastened it on her wrist. "Two hearts," she mentioned, running her fingers over them.

"Yours and mine, Elizabeth. Together." He leaned toward her and kissed her softly. "Sixteen years. Somehow, through college and my marriage and divorce, my heart never forgot you."

"Jack," she said, closing her eyes. She could tell what he wanted to say. His eyes gave him away.

"I know, but I can't hold it in anymore. I need to be honest with you. I love you. With all that I am."

She stared at their hands, fingers intertwined tightly. Those fingers belonged to a strong, kind, loving man. Not someone that would physically or verbally hurt her, but someone that would love her completely. She knew that now more than ever.

"Elizabeth?"

She felt tears filling her eyes, ready to spill. "I love you too," she admitted. He pulled her into his arms and held her close. "I've loved you for so long. My heart never forgot either."

He couldn't believe it. They finally told each other and it felt so right, so good.

A bit later, after many shared kisses in the moonlight, he picked up his guitar and played Chris Stapleton's Millionaire for her. He sung it from his heart to hers.

" ** _They say "Love is more precious than gold"_**

 ** _Can't be bought and it can't be sold_**

 ** _I got love enough to spare_**

 ** _That makes me a millionaire_**

 ** _I got a woman with eyes that shine_**

 ** _Down deep as a diamond mine_**

 ** _She's my treasure so very rare_**

 ** _She's made me a millionaire_**

 ** _When we ride around, ride around this old town_**

 ** _In the beat-up car, with the windows down_**

 ** _People look at her and they look at me_**

 ** _And say "That boy is sure living in luxury"_**

 ** _Sweet luxury_**

 ** _'Cause love is more precious than gold_**

 ** _It can't be bought, no, never could be sold_**

 ** _I got love enough to share_**

 ** _That makes me a millionaire_**

 ** _When the kisses fall from everywhere_**

 ** _Life reaches on, millionaire_**

 ** _When the pocket's are empty and the cupboard is bare_**

 ** _I still feel like a millionaire_**

 ** _'Cause love is more precious than gold_**

 ** _It can't be bought, no, and it can't be sold_**

 ** _I got love enough to spare_**

 ** _That makes me a millionaire"_**

….

Back at the house, William watched out the back patio doors like a father whose daughter was about to miss her curfew.

"William," Grace kindly spoke from the kitchen table. "Come sit with me."

"In a minute." He smiled back.

"Now would be good."

He laughed, his wife was reading him like her favorite novel. "I'm coming."

Vi and Cooper had already headed home. Dylan and Harper were in the living room playing video games. Neither were concerned where their parents were or what they might be doing.

"You're worried?" Grace asked, taking her husband's hand.

"I wouldn't say worried. I trust Beth and her judgment."

"And what about Jack?"

"We don't know him well. I remember Jack the boy, he was nice, but Jack the man?"

"Not to speak something you may not be ready for, but I think he and his lovely daughter will be a part of our lives for some time, if not forever."

"Harper is a sweet young girl." William smiled as he watched Harper and Dylan play Mario Kart. "We could use another grandkid."

"Now whose getting ahead of himself?" she laughed. "All I was going to suggest was that you get to know Jack better as a man. It might give you some peace about all this."

"My wife, always the voice of wisdom."

"Don't you forget it!" she teased.

…..

Jack and Elizabeth took what alone time they had left and took a slow moonlight stroll back towards the cottage.

"Thank you Jack. This is the best birthday I've had in a long time."

"You're welcome. Make sure you thank Dylan. It was his idea."

"I will. I love that boy so much. It was great having Harper here too."

"Yeah, it was nice doing this with both kids. Now I need to switch gears and think about Harper's birthday."

"When is it?"

"Next week. I want to make it special for her. Especially with everything that's changed in the last few years. I might have to pull out a gift like your parent's though," Jack laughed.

"The Disney trip?"

"Yeah, she's always wanted to go, we just never could make it work."

Elizabeth thought for a moment as the walked, their hands swung back and forth together as the went. "Maybe we can all go together. The tickets are open ended. We could go during a school break or something."

"Well, look at that, now who's moving into the fast lane of our relationship?" he teased.

She laughed, "What can I say, I'm happy. So what do you think? If the kids adjust well maybe we could go together?"

"Yeah, that would be great." He stopped and pulled her back into his arms. "It's funny, five months ago I had no idea where you were, but I missed you. Especially once I moved back here. Now I'm standing here on this beautiful night, holding you. Loving you."

"I didn't see it coming. I told myself I wouldn't try for a relationship with anyone ever. But it's you. My Jack. My best friend. My… love."

"I won't let you down. I promise. You have my heart, you always will."

"That's a gift I will never give back."

….

Sunday after church, Elizabeth and Dylan joined Jack and Harper at their house for a Sunday meal. The extended time together didn't phase the kids much. Jack started a fire in the pit out in the yard for them, Harper sat in a sleeping bag in one of the chairs reading her book while Dylan played around on one of Jack's guitars. Seemed they were capable of doing their own thing even around each other.

Inside, Jack and Elizabeth sat on the couch, her legs stretched over his lap, his hand resting on her jeans. In front of the kids they kept the PDA at a low. They meant what they said about trying to take it slow, but they couldn't deny each other how they felt. All kisses and I love you's were kept for private time.

At the moment though, neither could deny how homey and domestic the day felt, and they loved it.

Elizabeth closed her sketchbook and stared at Jack's face. She watched his eyes as he read his book. Seeing the excitement and surprise as he read each sentence. He glanced over with a grin.

"Are you watching me?"

"Maybe."

He laughed. "Thanks for coming over today."

"Thanks for having us."

The door opened and Harper walked in. Elizabeth quickly moved her legs from Jack's lap before Harper entered the room.

"Dad, can I make some hot chocolate for me and Dylan?"

"Sure, Honey Bee. You need some help?"

"Nope. I got it." She smiled at them and walked into the kitchen.

"Jack," Elizabeth whispered. "Can I run something by you?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"You said Harper's birthday was coming up. I was wondering if you thought she might let me do something for her?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Vi and I just went to the spa. They do mani-pedis and hair cuts and anything you like. What if I took her out to lunch and we had a girl's day?"

"Elizabeth, that sounds great!"

"If she's not ready I totally understand, I just thought I'd throw it out there. I assure you I won't be offended if she says no."

"I don't mind if you want to ask. She hasn't talked much about her birthday. She sort of mentioned a sleepover but I'm not sure what to do about that. Being its just me here and all. Times have changed and people get nervous about this."

"We'll figure something out." She squeezed his hand then headed to the kitchen. Harper was pouring the hot chocolate into two thermos' to go outside. "Hey, Harper."

"Hi. I made extra if you and Dad want some."

"Thanks!" Elizabeth was nervous. She wanted things to go well with their families and the last thing she wanted was to make Harper upset. "So your Dad tells me your birthday is next week?"

"Yeah. Thursday."

"That's exciting."

"I guess."

"Do you have any plans?"

"Well, I kind of want to have a sleepover with a few friends from school, but Dad didn't seem too thrilled with the idea."

"I have an idea. What if you and I went to get our hair and nails done? We could grab a bite to eat somewhere. Make it a girl's outing and get to know each other better."

Harper felt floored by the offer. She couldn't remember her mom offering her such a treat. "Are you only asking because you're dating my dad?"

"No, not at all." Elizabeth's answer came without hesitation. "Harper, I care for you so much. It's your birthday and I'd like to do something for you to show you how special you are. That's all."

"Wow. Um, yeah. That sounds fun."

"Great! And if you want, I'll talk with your Dad about the sleepover. Maybe I can help him out there. I think teenage girls make him nervous." Elizabeth winked.


	15. Chapter 15

Elizabeth planned to do the girl's day out with Harper on Saturday and then she and Harper planned to do a sleepover that night.

"Are you excited, Harp?" Jack asked her as they made dinner Friday night.

"Yeah. I've never had my nails done before."

"What else are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure. Ms. Thatcher said she was going to surprise me."

"I bet whatever it is, it will be fun."

"Dad?"

"Yeah, honey bee?"

"I'm sorry I have been such a pain lately."

"You are not a pain. A bit emotional but that's normal for your age, or so I am told."

"What do you mean?"

"You have had your girl chats with Nana, right? About growing up?"

"Yeah."

"That's part of it. Ms. Thatcher says all girls at your age act the same way. It's part of your body changing."

"You talk to Ms. Thatcher about me? Dad! That is so embarrassing!"

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I was confused and frustrated. I didn't know who to talk to."

"Me either. I always feel that way," she said, leaving the room.

He whipped out his phone and was about to text Elizabeth but then he decided not to because he felt like he was betraying Harper. So he called his mom.

"Hey, son."

"Ma, I messed up."

"I'm guessing this has to do with Harper."

"How did you know?"

"Just a hunch."

"Mom, I don't know how to handle her sometimes."

"What happened exactly?"

"I might have mentioned that Elizabeth told me that being emotional was normal for girls her age."

"Jack!"

"I know. I shouldn't have talked to Elizabeth about it but I didn't know what to do."

"Actually, you can talk to Elizabeth just don't tell Harper that you did."

"What do I do now?"

"Give her some time. She will get over it. That's another thing about girls. They overreact but they usually recover pretty quickly."

"Thanks, Ma."

"Of course."

Jack sighed and fixed a bowl of chocolate ice cream with sprinkles and chocolate chips and knocked on Harper's door.

"Yeah."

"I come with a peace offering." He held the bowl out to her and smiled.

"Thanks." She took a bite and closed her eyes. "I guess I did it again, didn't I?"

"What?"

"I got mad over nothing."

"I think that I messed up, Harp. I shouldn't have talked to Ms. Thatcher about you. I guess I did because she is a woman, which is what you will be soon, and she's my best friend."

Harper thought about that as she ate her ice cream. She talked to Dylan about her dad. It was pretty much the same thing. "I'm not mad anymore. You should be able to talk to your best friend. I get it now, Dad."

"Listen, you said before that you always feel like you don't know who to talk to. Do you really feel that way?"

"No, I guess not. Sometimes?"

"You can always talk to me, honey bee. Always. If you come to me and say that you need me to not be your dad for a minute and just listen to you, I will. I promise."

"Thanks." She stood up and gave him a hug. "You're the best, Dad."

"I love you. I will love you no matter what." He kissed the top of her head and tried not to cry. His baby girl was growing up fast. How was it possible that she was twelve?

"I love you too."

…..

The next morning, Harper got up early and took a shower and then put a comfy pair of jeans and a sweatshirt on. She headed downstairs and made herself a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice.

"Good morning, honey bee," Jack said as he walked in the room.

"Morning, Dad."

"You are up early today."

"I'm excited!"

"I'm so glad." He gave her a hug and fixed himself a cup of coffee. Jack had already given her a silver heart necklace for her birthday present but he had one more that he needed to deliver. He handed her a box that was wrapped in shiny purple wrapping paper.

"Another present?"

"Yeah. I think it's time."

She took the box and unwrapped it. "A cell phone?!" she squealed. "Oh my Gosh! Thank you so much!"

"You are most welcome. I talked it over with your mom and we agreed that it was a good idea. Now there are some rules attached to it but we can talk about that later."

"This is the best birthday ever!"

They looked up when the doorbell rang. "Go grab your coat, Harp."

She took her phone with her and ran upstairs while Jack went to get the door.

"Good morning, Blue Eyes." He brought her inside quickly and gave her a kiss. "You look beautiful."

"I have no makeup on and jeans and a sweatshirt. What's beautiful about that?"

"Everything," he told her, kissing her once more before Harper reappeared.

"Hi, Ms. Thatcher!"

"Hey, sweetie. You can call me Elizabeth if you want. Today I am not your principal. I'm just one of the girls."

"Okay. Well, guess what Dad got me, Elizabeth."

"Hmmm, a car?"

"No! I'm only twelve."

"Oh right. Um…a horse?"

"Nope. Try again."

"A cell phone?"

"Yep! Isn't that awesome?!"

"It sure is except now Dylan is going to want one."

Harper laughed and put her shoes on. "I guess I will have to rub it in a bit."

"Ready to go, sweetie?"

"I am."

Elizabeth kissed Jack's cheek and squeezed his hand and then followed Harper outside to the car.

Elizabeth got into the car and started it. "So we are heading to the mall."

"Okay. That sounds fun."

"It will be." She hoped. She had made an appointment for 10:30 to get mani/pedi's. Before that though, Elizabeth thought it might be fun to pick out new PJ's and slippers for Harper for the slumber party that night.

They walked into the department store about twenty minutes later. "What are we doing here?"

"I thought you might want some new PJ's and slippers for tonight."

"Okay!"

The ones they found were blue flannel but had flip flops and beach balls on them. The slippers were blue as well but big and fuzzy.

Harper was so excited she actually gave Elizabeth a hug. "Oh, sorry, Ms. Thatcher! I just got excited."

Elizabeth wrapped her arm around her shoulders and they walked toward the car. "Call me Elizabeth, sweetie, and don't apologize for a hug. Hugs are more than welcome. In fact, according to Dylan, I hug way too much."

Harper giggled. "Okay. Thank you, Elizabeth. This has been so fun."

"Well, it's not over yet. It's almost time for our appointments at the spa. Let's go!"

…..

Jack drove over to William and Grace Thatcher's house to pick up Dylan. He and Elizabeth thought it might be a good idea for the boys to do some fun things while the girls were out.

"Hey, Dylan."

"Hi, Mr. Thornton." Dylan climbed inside the truck and buckled his seat belt.

"Ready to have some fun?"

"Yeah! Where are we going?"

"I thought we would go to the batting cage and then hit the Emagine Theater."

"Are you serious?! That theater is awesome. I want pizza and nachos!"

"You got it, bud."

"Mom and Harp are going to be so jealous."

"Maybe we should bring them next time."

"Sure. This time it's just the guys though," Dylan said.

"That's right."

Across town…

Elizabeth and Harper were picking their colors for their toes and fingernails as the water heated for their hands and feet.

Harper picked light pink and a sparkle top coat while Elizabeth chose a deep purple with Silver tips.

"Elizabeth?" Harper said quietly as the nail technicians massaged their feet and legs.

"Yes?"

"Do you think you could teach me to shave my legs?"

"As long as your dad doesn't mind, I'd be happy to, sweetie."

"Do you love him?"

Elizabeth turned her head and looked at Harper and decided she deserved honesty. "I do."

"Okay."

"Are you alright with that?"

"As long as you promise you won't hurt him."

"I promise, Harper."

"Then yes. I'm good."

Elizabeth felt like she and Harper had passed the awkward part in their relationship. She wanted Harper to trust her and she felt like they were close to that now.

After their nails were done, Harper asked Elizabeth to take a selfie of the two of them and send it to her dad.

….

Jack's phone buzzed as he and Dylan sat in their leather recliners in the movie theater. They were waiting for their pizza, nachos, and soda to be delivered to their seats so Jack looked at his phone.

"Look, bud." He showed Dylan the picture that Elizabeth had sent over.

"Cool. They both look happy."

"Yeah, they do."

"Maybe we should take a picture and send it to them."

Jack leaned over and took a picture just as Dylan shoved a nacho in his mouth. "Nice," Jack said with a laugh.

Jack and Dylan enjoyed the 3D version of Jurassic Park so much that Dylan suggested they bring his mom and Harper to see it soon. "I think that can be arranged," Jack told him.

Jack saw the text that Elizabeth sent him during the movie. It made him pause for a moment but then it just made him happy and grateful.

"Yes, u can teach her 2 shave her legs. I certainly don't have any experience with that."

"Great. Thanks, Jack."

"No, thank u actually. I really appreciate everything, Blue Eyes."

"Happy to help. Luv u."

"Luv U Back."

….

Elizabeth and Harper stopped by a drug store and picked up some razors, shaving cream, and lotion. Before checkout Elizabeth took her to the feminine product aisle. "I just have to grab something, Harp. It won't take long."

Elizabeth found what she needed and then saw Harper checking out the teen section. "Did you have a question, sweetie?"

"No, I guess not." Harper felt her cheeks turn hot.

"Do you have some of these at home already?"

"No. I didn't want to ask Dad."

"Well, you never know when you might need it. Which kind do you think you want?"

"I don't know."

Elizabeth picked a small package up that she thought might be appropriate. "There are lots of choices but I think these will be good for you. See how it says perfect for teens?"

"Yeah. It's kinda scary."

"No need to be scared. You can always talk to your Nana or me. I will be more than happy to have a chat with you. In fact, remind me to give you my phone number and you can text me if you want."

"Thanks." Harper wished her mom was around so she could talk to her, but sadly, she felt more comfortable asking Elizabeth or Nana.

When they arrived back at Harper and Jack's house, Elizabeth suggested Harper switch into a pair of shorts and asked to borrow a pair too. Once they were changed, they went into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the tub.

"Alright, Harper. Ready?"

"Yeah. I'm ready."

"Alright, now get your legs a little damp and then smooth on the shaving cream." Elizabeth showed her as she instructed so she could see what she meant. "It's important to go slow because you don't want to cut yourself."

"Ouch!"

"Careful now. Just go slow." There were no other nicks or cuts and when they finished, Harper was proud of herself.

As she put her things away, she turned and gave Elizabeth a hug. "Thank you. Dylan is so lucky."

"Aw, sweetie. Thanks. I appreciate that." They went to sit on the couch for a bit. "You know, you are pretty lucky too."

"I know. Sometimes I forget that. I just wish things were different, you know?"

"I do. But, since things are what they are, we need to remember to make the best of what we have."

"That's hard."

"Yes it is very hard. What I do at the end of the day is to make a list of everything good that happened and say a prayer. Like today, I am going to list getting to know you and spending time with you."

Harper thought about that. That was a good idea. A lot of times, she went to sleep worried or confused or frustrated and she felt like no one understood. Now, she knew that someone did understand and she was sitting right next to her. Harper scooted closer and put her head on Elizabeth's shoulder. "I will thank God for you tonight, Elizabeth."

…..

The evening went off without a hitch. Jack stayed at his parents after dropping off Dylan at the Thatcher's house.

Elizabeth helped Harper set up blankets and pillows on the floor of the living room by the fireplace and then they put various snacks around the living room.

Anna, Emily, and Laura came right on time, toting an overnight bag each and a sleeping bag. Harper also had asked them to each bring a board game and a movie they wanted to watch.

Elizabeth left the girls and headed to the kitchen, sitting down at the table. She heard the girls though. Loud and clear.

"Why is Ms. Thatcher here?" Anna asked.

"We needed an adult here and it couldn't be my dad." She wasn't going to tell them that she and her dad were dating. That was not something they needed to know.

"But why Ms. Thatcher? She's our principal."

"She's also my friend and she's really cool. Please give her a chance, Em." Elizabeth smiled to herself.

"Thanks, Harp," she whispered. Elizabeth took out her phone and texted Jack. "Hey there."

Jack called her instead of texting. "Hey, beautiful. How are things going?"

"Perfectly. Today was perfect."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"Because Harper is amazing and we really got along well."

"No one needed stitches after shaving their legs?" he joked.

"Nope! Jack, she really is great."

"I know, I can't complain, that's for sure."

Elizabeth was silent for a moment. "I miss you."

"I miss you too. I could come over."

"Nope, girls only."

"I could borrow a dress and some makeup…"

Elizabeth laughed, picturing it. "I really want a picture of that." She turned her ear to check on the girls, hearing lots of laughter coming from the other room.

"Our day was great too." Jack thought for a second. "So after today, you think Harper might be ready for us to all go down to Florida together?"

"I don't want to jinx it but yeah, I think she just might be."

"When do you think we should plan on going to Disney?"

"I'm flexible, but I was thinking Christmas break if the kids are up for December 26th and then staying for a week."

"Sure, you don't mind if Harper and I crash your Disney vacation?"

"Mind? I would love that, Jack, and I am pretty sure Dylan would too."

"Are you positive?"

"100%."

"Great. Harp has always wanted to go and with everything that has happened the last couple years, I want to make it up to her."

"You are a wonderful dad, Jack."

"I try to be. Not sure how successful I am but I try."

"That's what is important. And she knows you love her." Elizabeth sat back and propped her feet on a chair. "So tell me more about your's and Dylan's day."

…..

The next morning Elizabeth made a yummy breakfast in Jack's kitchen for herself and the girls.

Anna, a cute blonde haired girl who looked a lot like Harper woke up first and came into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Anna."

"Morning." She watched as Elizabeth flipped the french toast over in the pan. "Do you do this for a lot of your students?"

"I... well…"

Harper walked in and saw Elizabeth trying to come up with a good answer. Throwing her a lifeline she said, "Not everyone. She's my dad's best friend and… she's his girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? No way! For real?" Elizabeth nodded. "Oh man, my mom's going to be so bummed. She thinks your dad's hot."

"My dad? Gross."

Elizabeth laughed.

"Wow," Anna grinned as she walked back to the living room. "That's cool."

Still standing in front of the stove, Elizabeth studied Harper's face. "Well, secret's out, sweetie. You alright?"

"Yeah. I guess so." Harper let out a laugh. "It's not like you're going anywhere. People would find out eventually." Elizabeth grinned. "You are staying around, right?"

"Yes. I have no intentions of going anywhere."

"Good. I mean, Dad would be sad, you know."

"Right."

….

Jack arrived back at his home with Dylan just before lunch. Jack had offered to pick up Dylan after his sleepover at his grandparents and bring him back. The girl sleepover guests had all been picked up not long before. Harper and Elizabeth were getting out sandwich fixings for everyone.

"We're back!" Jack called into the house as they ditched their coats by the door. "How'd it go?" He hugged Harper.

"Great! We had so much fun."

"Awesome, honey bee." Jack kissed the top of her head. "I got steak and chicken to grill for your birthday dinner today. Nana and Papa will be here later."

"Cool." She pulled him aside. "Are Dylan and Elizabeth staying?"

"I wanted to ask you about that. It's up to you."

She looked over into the kitchen where Elizabeth and Dylan were standing. Dylan was very animatedly telling his mother all about his day and how much fun it had been. Elizabeth smiled at him lovingly. In fact, it was the same way she'd smiled at Harper.

"Sure. They should come."

"Would you like to do the honors?"

"Okay."

They walked up to the kitchen bar and Harper hopped on the stool. Elizabeth handed her a plate so she could begin making her sandwich.

"We're doing Sunday dinner with my grandparents today for my birthday." Without making eye contact she began making her sandwich. "You guys want to come?"

"Sure." Dylan said taking a bite of his overflowing sandwich.

Elizabeth looked at Harper. "We'd love to."

"Cool."

After lunch Jack and Elizabeth stayed in the kitchen sipping coffee and talking about the day before. The kids were in the other room, Dylan fiddling on Jack's old guitar, Harper with a new book one of her friends had gifted her for her birthday.

"I think Harp liked the gift you gave her. A girl's day out, it was perfect for her."

"Don't forget the slippers and PJ's. It was fun. I think we made a lot of real good progress."

"Seems so. Dylan and I had fun too. He's a great kid."

"Did Harper tell you our secret's out? One of the girls was curious why it was me that was here."

"Oh man. How'd that go?"

"Actually fine. Harper answered for me. Told her everything. That we're best friends and together now."

"Huh, well I'll be."

The music stopped in the living room. A moment later both kids entered.

"Mom can Harper and I go for a bike ride?"

"It's a little chilly out."

"That's why we have jackets."

"Okay, smartie. Your bike's back at the house."

"I can go get it and meet her back here."

She smiled. "You have a solution for everything don't you?"

"Well you're kind of giving me easy problems, so yeah."

"What do you think, Jack?"

"I'm alright with it. Stick together though."

"We will," both kids said together before they left the room.

"And you need to finish any homework before dinner tonight, Dylan."

"Oh, that goes for you too, Harp."

"Ah, man." Dylan groaned.

"Can we still bike for a bit?"

"Think you can manage your time wisely?"

"Yes," they said.

"Alright then. Just be safe."

Harper went up to her room to change while Dylan put Jack's guitar back away.

Elizabeth got up and put her coffee mug in the sink. "I'll drive him back to get his bike. I've got some stuff to do at the house."

"Hmmm." He leaned down to kiss her lips. "I'll take whatever I can get tonight."

"I love you, Jack."

"I love you too."

…..

The drive back to the cottage was short, but thankfully, Dylan was chatty, so Elizabeth felt like she was getting some time with her son.

As Dylan was pulling his bike out of the shed, Elizabeth called out from the doorway. "Don't forget about homework."

"I won't." He strapped on his helmet. "You know if I had a phone like Harp, you could just call and remind me," he sassed.

"I know this would come up!" She laughed. "I'll think about it."

"Cool." He hopped on the bike. "Be back in a bit, Mom! Love you!"

"Love you!"

After gathering her belongings from the back of the car, Elizabeth headed inside. She started the laundry, and a loaf of banana bread before sitting down at the kitchen table with tea and her laptop. There were emails from teachers and others in the district. Monday hadn't even hit and she was already getting a good glimpse of what the few days of school before Thanksgiving break would look like.

She was responding to an email from the superintendent when there was a knock on the door.

"Coming." She stood and walked to the door, wrapping her long cardigan around her body in the fall chill air. Making a mental note to cranky the heat after. "Ray?" Closing the door a little more she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you. Where have you been? I drove by almost an hour ago." He was trying to seem laid back and patient, but she knew him.

"Oh, girl's overnight."

"And Dylan? Where was he?"

"He's been at my parents. Why are you here?"

"It was your birthday recently. I wanted to say happy birthday to you in person and give you this." He handed her a box of chocolates from her favorite place in the city. It was something he used to do when they were first married.

"Thanks." She carefully took the box.

"Happy Birthday, Beth."

"It was last weekend."

"I know, but I was taking care of something last weekend. Here." He handed her a paper. "I did one of those clinic things the AA group recommended."

"You went to AA?"

"You always wanted me to, right?"

"Well, yeah but…" She didn't want to discourage him from getting help. "I'm glad, Ray. Really."

"It's good for me. Or at least, it will be, right?" He laughed as he shifted on his feet. "I want to ask you something."

"What's that?"

"Come to DC for Thanksgiving."

Her eyes involuntarily grew wide. "I don't think that's a good idea, Ray."

"Why? We'll be at my parent's house. How much trouble can I get into there?" He laughed again. "I want to see you and Dylan. My parents really want to see you guys too. Please?" He stepped closer, but she didn't give him an inch. Instead the door shut just a smidge more, making it clear she was uncomfortable.

"I'll consider it."

"Great, that's all I ask." With his hands up he slowly backed up towards his car. "Just call my mom and let her know what you decide."

She watched as he got in his car and drove off, thankfully in the direction she didn't think Dylan and Harper where in. They usually rode their bikes through the fancier neighborhoods and down towards the beach. She decided then that Dylan was going to get a phone. She wanted to make sure she could reach him if it was ever urgent. With Ray, you never know.

Ten minutes later Dylan rode back in the driveway and put his bike back in the shed.

"Mom? I'm home!" He ditched his jacket and shoes at the door and strode into the kitchen. Elizabeth was sitting at the kitchen table. She jumped up and embraced him in a tight hug. "Um, hi. How long was I gone?"

"What?"

"You hugged me like you hadn't seen me in a week."

"Oh, sorry." She went to sit back down in front of her computer. "How was the ride?"

"Good." He grabbed his backpack and sat down at the table to work on homework. "Did you bake?"

"Yes. Banana bread. Would you like a piece?"

"Sure!" She cut two big warm slices with butter and placed one in front of him. "Thanks. Smells good."

While he worked and ate, she peered over the screen of her laptop and watched him while nibbling on her own piece of bread. He was such a good young man and had changed so much since moving back to the Cape. Was it worth going back there? Back to where everything seemed to go so wrong? Or did she owe him a chance with his dad and grandparents?

She decided to give it some more time before discussing it with Dylan.

….

Dinner at Jack's went great. Tom and Charlotte were so welcoming to both Elizabeth and Dylan, acting as if they'd always been a part of these gatherings. Harper was very quiet at first, but then gushed to Charlotte about the girl's day out that she had gone on with Elizabeth. Jack's father was having a grand old time sharing his glory day stories as a fireman with a new audience. Dylan was soaking up every word.

Even though it was a school night, Jack and Elizabeth decided to let the kids watch a little TV after Charlotte and Tom left. Dylan was dying to introduce Harper to Dr Who.

Outside, Jack built a fire in the fire pit. It gave off warmth and a romantic glow as he and Elizabeth curled up under a blanket together in an Adirondack style love seat watching the stars.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked kissing her temple.

"I saw Ray today."

"What?" Jack sat up more. "What did he do? You should have called me."

"Babe, its okay. It was fine. Well, weird, but fine." She continued to explain the whole interaction with him.

After a bit of silence, Jack spoke. "How do you feel about it?"

"I don't know. Honestly I'd rather have a root canal than go into that house again. Even if he's sober, which who knows if he will be, he'll just try and make it seem like we're a family again."

"Oh, well, you don't want to give Ray the wrong idea."

"Certainly not. His parents though, they haven't seen Dylan in so long. They've always been so good to him."

Jack held her tight, making her feel safe as she sighed with contentment and let her body mold to his.

"What if you propose a counteroffer then? Say maybe dessert at the house, but not dinner. Not the whole day. If all goes well, you can increase it next time."

"That could work."

"Also, I think I should come with you guys."

"What?!"

"Not to the house, that would just infuriate him. I mean to DC."

"Jack, what about Harper? And your parents?"

Jack sighed. "Harper won't be spending Thanksgiving with me."

"What? Why?"

"Ashley called this afternoon. Right before you got here. She wants Harper to spend it with her and her fiance in Atlanta. Show her around the city and all that."

"Oh, well how do you feel about that?"

He shrugged. "She's trying. I need to give her that chance if Harper wants it and she said she does. Kind of anyway. She's willing to give it a try."

They sat in silence under the stars for a bit.

"So, DC? I mean it. I'll be with you if you need me."

…..

The next morning Dylan woke up on his own with his new alarm clock. It was Monday and his hair looked like he had gone to sleep with it still wet from his shower. It stuck up in every direction.

"Nice hair." She smiled.

"Yeah, I'll try and fix it." He sat down and poured himself a bowl of cereal and dug in, opening his reading book to try and finish the last few pages he had left.

Elizabeth had barely slept the night before. Her mind went over every possible outcome that could come from their Thanksgiving plans. She was still torn, but with Jack's support, she was leaning towards going.

"Dylan, I need to talk to you about something."

He looked up from his text book. "What? You're marrying Jack?" he grinned.

Elizabeth coughed on her breakfast. "No, sweetie, not that. And since when do you call him Jack and not Mr. Thornton?"

"We had guy's night. He said we should be on a first name basis now."

"Oh, I see."

"So if you aren't getting married, what are you nervous to talk to me about?"

"I'm not nervous."

"Yeah. You are." He closed his book, giving her his full attention.

"Okay, maybe I am."

"Just tell me."

Elizabeth adjusted herself, leaning towards her son. "We've been invited to your grandparents home in DC for Thanksgiving."

Dylan leaned all the way back. "Will Dad be there?"

"See, it was he who invited us."

"Oh. No thanks."

"Wouldn't it be nice to see your grandparents?"

"Sure, but what's the point of seeing Dad? He's such a jerk."

"Dylan Christopher."

"What? Am I being disrespectful? He hasn't earned any of my respect. Jack said men of good character take care of those around them and put others before themselves. That's not Dad."

"Okay."

After thinking for a moment, Dylan dropped his fork on his plate. "You're not trying to go back to him, are you? Not for me. Don't do it. I'm fine without. I don't need him. I have Jack and Grandpa and…"

"No no, sweetie. I will not do that. I'm happy with Jack. I promise you. He's even offered to go with us."

"To DC? Dad will hate that."

"I know. He won't go with us to the house, but to the city. I was thinking we can do Thanksgiving dinner together and then go to your grandparent's house for dessert."

"That's it?"

"That's it. We'll stay somewhere in the city, maybe show Jack around a bit. You could even see some of your old friends if they're in town."

Dylan leaned back in his seat. "Seeing Andrew would be cool. We email some still."

"I think I still have his father's email. I can try and set something up."

"Okay. I would like to see Grandma and Grandpa. I guess I'll deal with Dad."

"If it's too much we can always leave."

"I'll be alright, Mom. If he starts in on you though, we leave. You don't need to deal with him like that anymore."

She reached out and took his hand. He didn't pull away like most boys his age might. Instead he gave her a strong, sympathetic smile.

"When did you grow up so much? You're starting to sound like a young man."

He shrugged. "I love you Mom. I want you to be okay."


	16. Chapter 16

In the crisp fall morning, Jack loaded up his truck with his and Harper's luggage. As he looked back up to the house, he noticed his daughter texting away on her cell phone.

"You know that phone was primarily meant for emergencies right?"

"You didn't make that clear when you gave it to me."

"A grave oversight on my part then. Who are you texting anyway?"

"Dylan."

"You're kidding. We're picking him and Elizabeth up in five minutes. What topic can't wait till then?"

"Music. I'm asking him to bring his Cary Brothers CD and he wanted my to grab Jason Aldean."

"Okay. Just rap it up, please."

"Got it."

Shaking his head Jack pulled out his phone. "Our kids are crazy. Did you really have to give Dylan a phone?"

"You gave Harper one first. What was I supposed to do? lol."

"Kids…"

"Indeed. I miss you."

"Miss you too. I'll be there in just a bit."

"Perfect."

"Dad, what are you doing?" Harper stood up on her tiptoes to see his phone screen. "Seriously? You're going to see her in like two minutes."

"Watch that sass, missy." Jack grabbed his daughter, giving her a playful tickle and hug. "I'm gonna miss you, Honey Bee."

"Same here. This is good though, right? Seeing Mom?"

"Yeah, sweetie. It's good what she's doing. Moving on and including you in it. It's all good. Aren't you excited?"

"I guess. It will be nice to see her again. I don't know if this is true or not, but she said she took the week off so we could do stuff."

"She mentioned that. She's really looking forward to spending time with you."

Closing the back of the truck up, Jack and Harper climbed in and headed down the street toward Elizabeth's cottage.

Down the street Dylan reclined on the couch surrounded by most of their luggage for the trip. He listened as his mom ran around the house tossing the last few things she needed in the last open suitcase.

"You don't pack light, do you, Mom?"

"Hush you." She grinned. "Though I guess you might be right."

"Yup. Look here, I've got one small bag and my backpack. You have a big purse, and two suitcases."

"Okay, oh, wise one," she teased. "Jack will be here any moment. What do you suggest?"

"Close the suitcase and let it be. I'm sure you have all the important stuff by now."

"Good point." She did as her son suggested and headed to the downstairs bathroom.

While he waited, Dylan read a few more pages of his book. He'd be finished with it before the trip was over. That was okay. His mom had already gotten him the next book in the wizarding world series.

The sound of tires on the stone drive caught his attention and he slipped the book back in his bag.

"Mom! They're here."

"Okay! I'll be right out."

Dylan rolled his eyes. He could see his mom standing in front of the downstairs bath mirror messing with her hair again and again. "I'm sure your hair is fine. Besides, that's not where Jack stares anyway."

"Dylan!" she gasped, making him laugh aloud.

"It's your eyes, Mom. They're his favorite, right? You know, "Blue Eyes"?"

"Oh, right."

"What did you think I was talking about?"

"I honestly have no idea," she laughed. "You all set?" He nodded. "Oh! I forgot one thing!"

"Really?" He huffed as she darted back up the stairs.

There was a knock on the door as Jack entered. "Ready to hit the road?"

"Hey, Jack!" Dyan ran up to give him a fist bump. "I'm ready. Can't say the same for Mom."

"I can hear you, young man." Elizabeth was coming back down the stairs with a sketch book in her hands. She slipped it into her purse. "Ready!"

"Alright." Jack leaned in, giving Elizabeth a tender kiss on the lips. "Your chariot awaits."

"Jack," Elizabeth whispered. "What about no PDA in front of the kids?"

"Oh…"

"It's alright, Mom. I've seen it before and the way you two are, we might as well get used to it."

"Oh yeah?" Jack asked with a laugh.

"Yup. Harper and I discussed it. Just try to keep it PG, alright?"

"So much sass," Elizabeth shook her head but was grinning.

After a quick coffee and donut stop they were on their way to Boston. It was an hour and a half drive. No one seemed to mind though. The kids both put in their headphones, sharing songs back and forth while Jack and Elizabeth held hands and chatted through the morning traffic.

They arrived at Logan International with time to spare. Harper had an early flight to Atlanta. They'd wait till she was off and then Jack would fly out to DC with Elizabeth and Dylan after that.

Once they'd all checked in and made their way through security, they husseled over to Harper's gate. Jack checked in with the gate agent, letting them know who Harper was and that she was traveling unaccompanied. A flight attendant came over shortly after to introduce herself and assured Jack that they'd make sure Harper would have someone in Atlanta to help her get where she needed to be. That made him feel a whole lot better.

Before too long the gate agent was announcing boarding for the flight to Atlanta. Harper stood and slung her backpack over her shoulder as Dylan walked up, giving her a brotherly hug.

"See ya later, Harp."

"See ya. Good luck with your dad."

"Thanks. Good luck with your mom."

"Thanks. Text me if you need to talk, okay?"

"Same."

Jack and Elizabeth watched, their hearts melting at the friendship between their kids.

As Elizabeth walked over, she hugged Harper tight. "You have a good time."

"Thanks, Elizabeth. Take care of my dad. I think he's worried about me."

"That what parents do. But yes, I'll take care of him."

Last but most certainly not least, Jack embraced his daughter, kissing the top of her straight blonde hair.

"Love you, Honey Bee."

"Love you too, Dad." Jack held her tighter. "Dad, it's barely even a week. It's going to be fine."

"I know. I know."

She looked over her shoulder at Dylan and his mom talking. "Look out for them, okay? I don't trust that Ray guy."

Jack pulled back to look her in the eyes. "I don't either. I'll keep them safe."

"Good. They're like family or something now, you know? I can't explain it, but they are."

"That's good to hear you say. Still, we won't rush anything."

"Good. I mean, I'm cool with everything right now as it is but if I come back and you tell me you're married or something, I might freak out."

Jack laughed. "Don't worry, we'll discuss every change as it comes. Besides, I'd never get married without you right by my side."

"Cool." They called zone three next. "That's me. Love you, Dad."

"I love you more."

Jack watched as his little girl disappeared down the tunnel toward her plane. When she was long out of sight, he turned around. Elizabeth was waiting there for him. He walked right into her loving embrace.

"You okay, babe?" Elizabeth asked warmly.

"Yeah." He gave a small smile. "Oddly enough this is the first holiday I've spent without her. I guess I gotta get use to it, huh? I mean, her mom deserves a chance."

"I know it's not the same, but I'm here." She gave him a light kiss.

He smiled. "It makes a huge difference. Come on. Let's get to our gate. DC awaits."

The short flight to DC was uneventful. Just how Elizabeth liked it. She sat in between Dylan and Jack, running over all the details of the next few days in her head, praying this wasn't a huge mistake.

Once they'd collected their bags, Jack rented a car for the week and drove to check into their room at the Embassy Suites. It was a nice suite with a small kitchen and a breakfast bar, a living room and one bedroom.

Jack and Dylan planned to sleep on the two couches in the living room so Elizabeth could have the bedroom to herself.

Dylan left the room to go check out the pool while Jack and Elizabeth got settled.

"I made reservations at a place in Chinatown that is just amazing for Thanksgiving and I figure tomorrow morning we can do some sightseeing once we drop Dylan off at his friends."

"Sounds good to me. It's about lunch time now, I thought for today maybe we could see if there was anything Dylan wanted to show me around here."

"He'd love that. I bet I know where he'll want to take you but we can ask him when he gets back."

Elizabeth knew her son well. Dylan practically dragged them out the door to his favorite restaurant, the Hard Rock Cafe. The whole time they dug into their fries and cheeseburgers, Dylan talked Jack's ear off about the Spy Museum and how cool it was.

That evening, after a day of traveling and walking around the Spy Museum, Dylan laid on one of the couches in the hotel asleep while a movie played on the TV, his stomach full of Mediterranean take-out. Elizabeth rose from her spot on the opposite couch next to Jack and grabbed a blanket, draping it over her son.

"I love watching him sleep. He always looked so adorable. Especially as a baby."

"I bet. I'm the same way with Harp."

"How's she doing?" Elizabeth asked as she curled back up next to Jack.

"Good. She's been texting me. Derek, Ashley's fiance, seems nice and they went out to a seafood place for dinner. They're at a condo right now that they're renting and I guess Harp is going house hunting with them tomorrow. One of the places has a pool."

"Oh wow."

"Yeah." Jack looked a bit sad.

"She loves you. Remember that."

"I know. How can I compete with a pool?"

"We live on the Cape. She has a whole ocean at her disposal."

"True." Jack laughed. "I like this. Cuddling up with you like this."

"This is nice. We can do a lot of this tomorrow."

"What time are we dropping Dylan off?"

"After breakfast would be fine. Dylan's excited to see Andrew. You'll get to see the old neighborhood we lived in."

"Ah. Nice. What will we do after?" He leaned in, kissing just below her ear.

"Whatever… you want…" Talking was becoming hard as Jack continued showing her his affections.

"Good, I've got some ideas." His lips trailed down her neck then back up to her lips.

Elizabeth pulled back with a giggle. With her hands flat on his chest she said, "Whatever you want within reason."

"Now you tell me," he pouted.

"Jack Thornton," she laughed. "You know what kind of woman I am."

"I do, trust me. I won't try anything too forward. Scouts honor."

"Were you ever a boy scout?"

"No." Jack grinned.

"So your word means nothing," she sassed, biting her bottom lip.

"I'd tickle you senseless but your son is sleeping right over there,"

"I guess you'll have to restrain yourself then."

"More than you know."

"On that note," she kissed him and rose to her feet. "I'm off to bed."

Jack watched her perfectly curved figure as she walked away. "Goodnight, Blue Eyes. I love you."

"Goodnight, Jack, I love you too."

After breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, they climbed into the rental car and headed down to their old neighborhood. Both Elizabeth and Dylan could feel the pits of their stomachs as they drove down the familiar street. So many old feelings coming back, most of which were not pleasant.

Dylan's mood perked up as they pulled up to his friend's large stone rowhouse.

"There's Drew!" He was out of the car as soon as it stopped and headed to his friend who was waiting on the steps.

Elizabeth parked the car and she and Jack stepped out and walked toward the boys.

"This is a nice brownstone," Jack commented. "You lived in one like this?"

"Yup. It was almost identical actually. Just two streets over."

The door of the home opened and a tall athletically built man stepped out.

"Beth! Dylan!"

"Hi, Charles."

Jack felt his stomach twinge with jealousy as he watched Elizabeth hug the man he now knew as Charles. He stood there looking all upper crust with his pressed pants and tailored button down. Not a look Jack had ever pulled off in his life.

Elizabeth stepped back to Jack's side, taking his hand. "Charles, I'd like you to meet Jack Thornton. We were best friends growing up and welll, we've reconnected and have been seeing each other for a couple months now."

"Hi, Jack." Charles extended his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Dylan said goodbye to his mom and Jack and headed inside with his friend.

"Jack, Charles was a good friend to Dylan and I back when we lived here."

"Not good enough," Charles sighed.

"Charles…" Elizabeth reached out her hand, placing it on his arm.

He looked over at Jack and began explaining. "I still think I should have done more. I worked with Ray back then. I knew he could be a jerk at work with some people but I had no idea what was going on at home. If I had known, I would have gotten them out of there sooner."

"But you didn't know." Elizabeth interrupted. "It's not your fault. You had enough on your plate then anyway. And when I showed up on your doorstep that last horrible night, with Dylan asleep in the back seat, you took us in and kept us safe while I figured it all out. I can't tell you how appreciative I was and still am."

"Well, you're welcome. Anything for you guys." He smiled. "Enough about the past. The present seems to be agreeing with you." He pointed to her and Jack.

"I am very happy right now." She gazed up at Jack as she spoke. "Second time's the charm, I guess."

"That's great." Charles looked back to make sure the kids had indeed gone inside. "Actually, one more mention of the past. I was wondering… how's Vi doing?"

Elizabeth grinned. "She good. You should email her sometime."

"I don't know what I'd say. Not after all these years."

"Something like "Hello", might be a good start."

"I, um. Yeah sure. I'll look into it." Charles laughed. He shifted nervously, making Jack wonder about the story behind him and Elizabeth's older sister. "Well you two enjoy yourselves tonight. Drew's been really looking forward to this. We've got a night of pizza, video games and movies ahead of us."

"Perfect. Thanks, Charles."

"Of course! See you tomorrow!"

Elizabeth led Jack back to the car. They climbed inside and began plotting where to go next. They decided to ditch the car back at the hotel and walk and take the train around to see the different monuments around the city. It had been years since Jack had been to DC and was really looking forward to this.

As they sat on the train on the way to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Jack decided to revisit something that had been on his mind since they left Charles' house.

"Charles seems nice."

"He is."

"You knew him from Ray's work?"

"And church, yeah. His wife and I were friends too."

"How does he know Vi?"

Elizabeth smiled. "They went to undergrad together. Charles had a huge crush on her but in the end she chose Lionel."

"Cooper's dad?"

"Yeah." She sighed. "Real winner that one turned out to be. Leaving her like that."

"What about Charles' wife?"

"Her name was Elise. Great woman. She died of cancer a few years back."

"Oh man. Poor guy. That must have been unbearable for him and Andrew."

"Yeah. Charles loved her with his whole heart. He and I kept in touch when I first moved home. That's when he started asking about Vi again."

"Huh. What do you think?"

"Personally, I think they'd be great together. Just have to get them in the same place again. Maybe old sparks might flare again. But I don't see her leaving the Cape and Charles' work and life is in DC."

"If you think it's worth it, maybe we can find a way. Old love has been known to spark in the Cape before." He brought her hand to his lips.

"That it has."

The day had been perfect. The best in a long time, in Elizabeth's mind. They toured the city hand in hand, shared a nice bottle of wine while enjoying a romantic lunch at a french bistro, and after more sightseeing they enjoyed dinner at one of DC's most historic restaurants, Old Ebbitt Grill. Elizabeth had always loved this place with its history and original architecture.

"How's your dinner?" she asked Jack.

"Perfect. This place is so cool. Look at those old lamps on the wall, its like they're gas lit."

"Those are original."

"No way."

"Yup. This is Washington's oldest "saloon" and was founded in 1856."

"I feel like I'm about to get a history lesson."

"You are." She giggled. "According to the legend, the namesake, William Ebbitt was an innkeeper and housed many of the big names in American history like presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew Johnson, even Theodore Roosevelt."

"Very cool."

"It is. This isn't the original location either. It moved a couple times. The last time, the venue moved from around the corner to right here. This particular building was once an old historic theater."

"I can see it. I can see why you liked living here."

"Yeah. It's a fun city. I didn't get out as much the last few years I lived here. Ray didn't trust me on my own." She laughed, but there was still pain in her eyes as she took a sip of her drink.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Everything I did that led to you ending up with that neanderthal. If I had just told you how I felt back then and fought for you, we…"

"We wouldn't have Harper or Dylan. Jack, I thought we got past this. I don't blame you for anything in our past. I'm just so completely grateful we have a future now." She took his hand in hers. "I love you, Jack. I'm not looking back anymore."

"I love you, Elizabeth. I'm so grateful you walked back into my life."

When the plates were empty, they ordered dessert to go and headed to one of Elizabeth's other favorite DC spots. They sat high on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, looking out at the reflection pool. In the distance they could see the Washington Monument. Everything was lit up under the starry fall night.

"Perfect day, perfect evening," Elizabeth whispered as she rested her head against Jack's strong shoulder.

"You got that right." He kissed the top of her head. "Want another bite of the chocolate mousse?"

"I don't think I could eat another thing, but thank you."

Jack stuffed the last bite in his mouth. "Oh, yeah, this was good."

Elizabeth giggled. Later as they sat there, she asked, "Do you think Harper would want to come visit here?"

"Maybe someday. There are a number of museums I know she'd love."

"I'd love to show her around. If she wanted."

"You're so good with her."

"And you're good with Dylan. Did you see them yesterday? They seem so close."

"They are. Should make things easier."

"What things?"

"Moving forward someday. The four of us, as a family." Jack looked down at her trying to gauge her reaction to his comment.

"I like that. Us, a family."

"It will happen, Blue Eyes. I know it."

"Yeah? What do you see when you look at our future?"

Jack smiled. This was something he had thought a lot about over the past couple months. "I see us living on the Cape. Maybe at my place. There's enough room for all of us and we could always add more if needed."

"Why would we need more room?" Elizabeth asked coyly.

"I don't know. Maybe for another child. Or a dog."

"Another child or a dog. Okay, got it."

"What do you think?"

"About the dog or having another kid?"

"Either."

Elizabeth sat up and turned to face Jack. "Well, I know Dylan really wants a dog so I'm all for that. As far as having another child…" Her gaze shifted from Jack out to the reflection pool beyond them. "I think… with you in my life, I'm up for anything."

"That's exactly how I feel." He took both her hands in his and brought them to his lips.

"You know, the more I think about it, the better doing the trip to Florida together sounds. Have you mentioned it to Harper?"

"Not yet. I wanted to make sure you and Dylan were both okay with it first."

"We are. I talked with Dylan and he liked that idea a lot. Though he asked that we let them roam around a little on their own. He reminded me that they are almost teenagers and we are raising them right."

Jack laughed. "Smart boy. I'm okay with it. Though we should plan to meet up for meals and things like fireworks."

"Agreed."

It was nearly 11:00 by the time they returned to their room. Both were exhausted but at peace from the day. While Elizabeth showered, Jack sat on the couch watching a hockey game. Trying to do anything but think about his beautiful, amazing love in the shower like she was. The game did nothing to distract him. Neither did the two movies he tried.

After the water turned off, Elizabeth towel dried her hair and put it up in a messy bun. She grabbed an old t-shirt she'd stolen from Jack recently and pulled it on with a short pair of cotton shorts.

"Hey." she said from the doorway to her room. "I had a thought."

"A good one, I hope."

"I think so."

He turned off the TV and tossed the remote on the other end of the couch. "I'm listening."

"Well, it's just you and me here tonight." She spoke softly as she walked towards him. "I was thinking, maybe you don't need to sleep on the couch."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Taking his hand she pulled him up to stand in front of her. "Don't get me wrong, I'm still me and I think certain things belong in marriage alone but… I thought maybe, just maybe, we could hold each other tonight?"

Jack grinned from ear to ear. "I'd love nothing more."

"Good." With that, Elizabeth led Jack back to the room. Pulling the covers back she slipped into the king sized bed, Jack sliding in behind her.

He groaned with delight at the feel of her body so close to his. This was the perfect ending to the perfect day. As they laid together, Jack began to wonder just how much longer he could wait before asking her that life changing question.

"Elizabeth?" he whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

She giggled, "I know. I love you too. Sweet dreams, Jack."

"Oh they will be."


	17. Chapter 17

Savannah, Georgia

Harper picked up her phone as it buzzed. It was Dylan.

"Hey, Harp," he texted.

"Hey, Dyl."

"R u having fun?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's kinda boring here. I wish I was with u guys."

"What do u think of Derek?"

"He's fine. He's old!"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, my mom is thirty three. He is at least fifty. And his parents are older than my grandparents!"

"Lol. Sorry, Harp."

"That's where we are! At his parents' house and they can't hear each other so every other word is "WHAT?""

"LOL" Dylan chuckled.

"What's so funny, bud?" Jack asked him from the front seat.

"Harp."

"So much for emergencies only with the cell phone," Jack mumbled to Elizabeth.

"It's kind of my fault, Jack. I thought she might need a friend today."

Jack looked in the rear view at Dylan. He was fast becoming like a son to Jack and obviously his mother's good nature and kindness were passed down to him. "Thanks, Dylan. You are a good friend to her. I really appreciate it."

Dylan met his eyes and shrugged. "She's a good friend to me too."

"Dyl? U there?" Harper texted.

"Sorry. Talking to your dad."

"Where are u guys going?"

"To Chengs in Chinatown. It has AWESOME Chinese food."

"So jealous. We are having ham. Not even turkey! It's old people food!"

Dylan chuckled again. "Just be glad your dad isn't mine. I don't want to see him, Harp. I really really don't."

"Sorry, Dyl. Maybe he won't be as mean today."

"I'm not holding out hope. He always has been."

"Well, I'll say a prayer."

"Thanks. We're at the restaurant. Enjoy your old people food, Harp. TtuL?"

"Yep!"

Harper continued to flip through pictures on Instagram, feeling homesick and missing her Dad and Dylan and Elizabeth.

"Harper, time for dinner," Ashley told her. "Was that your boyfriend?" she teased.

"Ew no. That was just Dylan. He's Dad's girlfriend's son. If anything he will be my brother someday."

"That right?"

"Yeah."

"You good with that?"

"At first I wasn't. Now I know that it will be good for all of us. Dylan's dad is a jerk. He and his mom deserve someone nice like Dad."

…..

 **Cheng's, Chinatown, DC**

"I'm thankful for second chances," Elizabeth began. "Even just three months ago, I would never have thought how wonderful our lives could be again." Jack kissed the back of her hand. "Thank you for everything you have done for us, Jack."

"Dylan, you want to go next?" Jack asked him.

"I guess I want to say that I am thankful for second chances too. Jack, you showed me how a man is supposed to be toward the people he loves. And, Mom, you are so strong and you saved my life when you got us out of there. I will never forget that."

"Honey," Elizabeth said, opening her arms as Dylan hugged her tightly. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Mom." Then he walked over and hugged Jack. "Thank you," he told him simply.

"Don't forget that I am always here for you and your mom. Always."

"I won't forget."

Dylan took his seat and wiped his eyes on his napkin just as the food was being delivered to the table. "I don't want to go to see Dad, Mom. Please, can we just not go?"

"Honey, as much as I would like to say that we can just go home, we promised that we were coming. Our yes needs to mean, yes."

"He breaks promises all the time."

Jack squeezed her hand and silently asked permission to speak with Dylan. She nodded.

"Dylan, you told me not two minutes ago that I showed you how a man is supposed to be toward the people he loves." Dylan nodded. "As a man, it is important to keep our commitments. Including things we don't want to do."

Dylan stared at his food, poking it with his fork. "You're right. Not going would make me just like Dad. I don't want that."

Jack put his hand on his arm. "You are not like your dad. You are the opposite of him in every way. It's just important to keep your commitments. It makes you a good person."

"I understand," he told him with a nod. "I still want to be like you, Jack. So I will go and eat dessert with him."

"I'm proud of you, Dylan," Jack told him.

"Me too," Elizabeth said with a smile.

…..

"So how are you liking school this year, Dylan?" Ray's father Paul asked.

"It's fine," he shrugged. "Harper and I did a project about Greece. We had to research and then do a presentation for the parents."

"Greece? Wow, that would be a nice place to visit," Kathleen, Ray's Mom commented.

"I think so too," Elizabeth agreed. "I've always wanted to go there."

"Maybe Jack will take you there, Mom, and maybe Harper and I can come too?"

"Who's Jack?" Kathleen wondered.

"Mom's boyfriend."

The room was silent for a moment as everyone ate their pie. "What hobbies do you have, Dylan?" Kathleen asked, breaking the silence.

"I like music. I play the drums for school. Grandpa William brought me a set. And Jack is teaching me to play the guitar."

"Dylan should start playing football again," Ray suggested to everyone's surprise.

Elizabeth was surprised because she didn't even know Ray was aware his son played football. He had never gone to any of his games or anything.

"No, thanks," Dylan said. "New life, new hobbies."

"Football teaches you discipline and agility. Something you absolutely need."

"Music teaches both of those," Dylan defended.

"That blouse is an interesting color," Ray told Elizabeth, switching subjects.

She knew that was his way of saying he didn't like it without actually saying it. "Jack likes it," she told him. "He said it brings out my eyes." She knew she was antagonizing him a bit, but it popped out.

"He's awesome and nice to us and he's a good man," Dylan said proudly.

Ray snorted. "A good man, huh?"

"Ray," Paul said in warning.

"Yes, a good man," Dylan told him. Elizabeth put her hand on Dylan's arm to stop him. She could feel the tension in him. "He's great. He takes care of us and his daughter and his parents. He would never hurt us!"

Dylan got up and ran from the room. Ray looked at Elizabeth. "No respect! Neither of you ever had respect for me."

"You need to earn respect, Ray. What you did to me… it ruined me for a long time. Now, I am finally starting to believe in myself again. Dylan may not have been right yelling at you, but he was being honest. He was finally telling you what he felt. I won't make him apologize for being honest."

She got up and thanked his parents for dessert and then went to find Dylan. She found him on the porch without his coat. "Dylan, you must be freezing. Where is your coat?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm not wearing it."

"Let's go back inside."

"No. Please don't make me."

"We need to go back in so I can apologize for bringing up Jack in the way that I did. I knew it would make him angry but I did it anyway. And I think you know what you need to apologize for too."

"Yelling. But…"

"No, buts. You are a good kid, Dylan, but you know better than to yell at your elders, including your father."

"Yeah."

"So…."

"I need to apologize to him."

"Yep."

"And maybe Grandpa and Grandma Wyatt for walking out?"

"Yep."

Elizabeth kissed the top of his head and gave him a hug. "I love you, Dylan."

"Love you too, Mom."

…

Later that night back at the hotel, Jack sat with Dylan on the floor trying out a game he'd bought while they were at the Wyatt's home.

"Are you glad you went back in?" Jack asked the young man.

"I know it was the right thing. I don't think Dad likes me right now. He didn't speak to me when I went back. Just kept glaring at me."

"I'm sure your father does care, he's just really struggling with himself right now."

"Maybe, but I doubt it. Mom said I don't need to see him for a while. Even Grandma said she and Grandpa could come out to see me on their own sometime."

"That will be nice. You can show them around."

"Yeah, I guess."

Standing in the kitchenette, Elizabeth mouthed the words "thank you" to Jack.

They played two rounds of the new game together before Elizabeth retired to the bedroom. She spent the next hour reclining on the bed reading a book while Jack and Dylan watched a hockey game on the tv in the other room. It was a replay game, since it was Thanksgiving, but Jack hadn't seen it yet.

When the goalie for Jack's team let another puck through, he groaned.

"Dude, can you believe that?" Looking over at the next couch, Jack smiled. Dylan was fast asleep. Jack got up and covered him with a blanket.

"Sleep well, Dylan." Leaning down, he kissed his head. He was so proud of Dylan. Today had been anything but easy, but he took it all in stride.

Seeing the light still on in the bedroom, Jack went over and lightly knocked on the door.

"Come in," she called out. Jack entered and she smiled. "How's the game?"

"They're losing. Dylan's asleep."

"So," Jack took a seat next to Elizabeth on the bed. "How are you after tonight?"

Letting her head fall on his shoulder, she sighed. "It was not a night to repeat."

"You said it started out well, what happened?"

"Dylan mentioned you, I did as well. Ray was not happy."

"Ah. Sorry."

"Don't be. I'm glad you're in our lives. I'm even more glad that Dylan had you tonight. You're so much more of a father to him than Ray has been for so long."

Jack let out a sigh of his own at her words, making her nervous.

"Oh, Jack, I didn't mean to... I just meant, you're so good with him. I'm not trying to move us faster than…" She stopped as Jack placed his finger over her lips.

"You're cute when you're flustered." She giggled softly. "Listen, Blue Eyes, I love you and I love Dylan. The relationship I'm building with him is very important to me. It's one I plan to hold close to my heart the rest of my life. Just like I do with Harper. Your words just there meant a lot to me."

"I didn't scare you?" she laughed.

"Not at all. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want us to all be a family someday sooner rather than later. Honestly, that's a lot of what I've been thinking lately. You, me and the kids."

"I'd like that." She snuggled closer. "I was thinking maybe when we get back home we could talk to the kids about our Florida trip."

"Good idea. You think Dylan will take it well, us invading his trip?"

"I think he'll enjoy having a friend with him and not just his mother." Jack laughed at her comment. "I guess we'll have to wait and see exactly how he'll react. What about Harper?"

"She's always wanted to go, so yeah, I hope she'll be alright anyway."

Elizabeth sat up and reached for her phone. "Let's plan it then."

The next morning, Elizabeth woke up with a twinge of pain in her neck. She stretched her arms and legs to get in a better position. That's when she noticed she wasn't alone.

She shoved her co-sleeper in the side and whispered loudly, "Jack! You have to get out of bed!"

"What?" he groaned.

"We fell asleep. Get out before Dylan wakes up!"

"Okay." With more groans, Jack rolled off the bed. "Okay, jeans are not good sleeping attire."

"GO!" she hissed.

"I'm going!" Jack laughed. Roughly running his fingers through his messy hair. Stopping at the doorway he turned back to Elizabeth. "Um, honey?"

"What?"

"If we're in here, who's in the shower?"

Now Elizabeth heard it. The sound of running water in the bathroom. The bathroom that could only be accessed by coming into the room she was in.

"Oh no…" She rolled over sticking her face into the pillow.

Jack couldn't help but laugh. "I'll go get us breakfast at that bakery down the street."

"Chicken!" she yelled playfully, tossing a pillow in his direction.

"You bet. Have fun explaining this to your son."

"Jack Thornton!"

Elizabeth climbed out of bed and got dressed before heading out into the little kitchenette to start coffee. She was standing in front of the coffee maker when Dylan walked out, his hair spiked up from the dampness.

"Morning, honey." She put on a smile.

"Morning." He walked over to his suitcase and put his pjs inside. "Our flight's at 12:30, right?"

"Yes, we'll leave here after breakfast."

"Alright." He grabbed his book from his backpack and went to sit at the kitchenette bar.

Dylan's silence unnerved her. She poured herself a cup of coffee. The whole time wondering if she should say something about that morning, or just let it go. Maybe Dylan wasn't saying anything because he was embarrassed. She certainly didn't want to make things any more awkward than they were.

"Mom, did you hear me?"

"What? Sorry, love." She had been so lost in thought she hadn't heard him. "What did you say?"

"I asked if you had a nice rest last night." The mischievous grin on his face said it all. "You sure looked cozy when I went to take my shower this morning."

"Popsicles…" she muttered under her breath. Dylan laughed at her attempt not to swear. "It was a complete accident, Dylan. Really. We were looking up some things on my phone and just kind of…"

"Had yourselves a little sleepover."

"Oh, Dylan, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Mom," he laughed. "It was a little weird, but it's fine. It was clearly innocent."

"Thank you."

"You just be more careful next time, you hear me?" With a mischievous grin he shook his finger at her.

"Yes, son. I will be more careful."

He got off the stool and went to give her a hug. "I'm glad you're happy, Mom."

"Thank you."

"Oh, and by the way, that picture I took on my cell of you two snoring away might make a great engagement announcement photo one day."

"Dylan Christopher… you didn't!"

Jack walked in the room just then. "Breakfast is here."

"Awesome!" Dylan grabbed a raspberry pastry from the box and headed to the living room to read his book.

Jack offered Elizabeth a pastry. She took it, looking straight ahead at her son instead of Jack. "Blue Eyes, you okay?"

"Never should've gotten him a phone…"

….

The trio landed at Logan International just after 2 PM. Immediately after getting off the plane, Jack checked the arrivals board for Harper's flight. He had missed his baby girl and couldn't wait to see her again. According to the board, her flight was due to arrive in 45 minutes.

"Well, anyone hungry?" Jack asked. No one was particularly hungry before their flight.

"I could eat," Dylan answered. "There's a Chili's over there. Do we have time?"

"Yeah. I'll keep an eye on her flight with my phone."

They sat down and enjoyed a nice lunch. Elizabeth had a salad while Jack and Dylan ordered burgers and bragged over who could eat the most. Must be a guy thing, Elizabeth thought.

Just as they were finishing up, Dylan's phone vibrated. "She landed."

"How do you know?"

"I set my phone to give me updates."

"Huh," Jack smiled. "Alright then."

Dylan and Elizabeth hung back at the gate to give Jack and Harper some space. Jack stood near the door, trying to see down the tunnel for his "Honey Bee."

"Dad!"

"Hey, Honey Bee!" Jack held open his arms as she ran toward him for a hug. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Dad. How was your Thanksgiving?"

"Not bad. We had a pretty good time."

"Dylan said things with his Dad didn't go awesome. They okay?"

"Yeah, sweetie. It's all okay."

"Good."

During the drive back to the Cape, everyone caught up on the details of the holiday. Harper and Dylan sat in the back looking at pictures Harper had taken while in Georgia.

"I took some pictures too."

"Dylan…" Elizabeth warned from the front seat.

"Okay, fine. I'll show you a video instead."

Harper leaned in as the video started. At first, she sat back, a little shocked. Then a loud laugh came out. "Aw, look at this, you two snore in unison."

Quickly Elizabeth reached back and took the phone. Looking at the screen she rolled her eyes. "So you filmed us, Dylan Christopher?"

"That's us?" Jack looked back at the kids in the rearview mirror. "Wait a minute, I thought you told your mom you took a picture?"

"I did. I also did this. Did I not mention that?"

"Sly boy, very sly."

When they were thirty miles from home, Jack suggested they grab pizza from Pete's for dinner. Everyone was tired, but agreed to the idea.

"Jack and Beth!" Pete Stanton waved from behind the front counter. "And the kids. How was your Thanksgiving?"

"Not bad." Jack reached out to shake his old friend's hand. "Can we get a table?"

"Sure thing! Take your pick, Clara will be right out. I know she'll wanna see you guys."

Clara was out a few moments later.

"Look at you mama!" Elizabeth stood to give her old friend a hug. "You look beautiful!"

"Thanks! I can't believe I'm already showing. Though I am three months along with twins so maybe that's normal."

"I can't say. I didn't have twins, regardless, you're beautiful!"

"Thanks, Beth!"

They ordered sodas, a large margherita pizza and a caesar salad.

After her second slice, Harper leaned back in her seat and began playing with the straw in her orange soda.

"Georgia was alright, but next vacation can I stick with you guys? I feel like a missed out."

Jack looked to Elizabeth. With a big smile she nodded.

"Actually, Harper. Jack and I have been talking and I was thinking it would be nice if you guys came with Dylan and I to Florida over Christmas break."

"Seriously?" Dylan asked eyes wide.

"Yeah. I hope you don't mind."

"Nah, this is cool." He looked across the table to Harper. "You're so doing Tower of Terror with me."

"Isn't that the thing where you're in an elevator and it drops?"

"Oh yeah!"

"Um no. Not happening."

"Oh, come on! It will be fun. What do you want to do?"

She thought for a moment. "That hang glider ride at Epcot!"

"Deal."

The kids kept on making plans for the trip. Jack subtly lifted his class to Elizabeth. "That went well."

"It did! I think we should celebrate." She kissed his cheek and left the table. She walked up to the front counter where the desserts Clara made were on display in a glass case. "Hey, Pete, can we get four of those yummy double chunk brownies?"

"Sure. I'll bring them to ya."

"Great. Thanks!"

"I'll get them." Clara said with a smile. "Pete, hon, you're needed in the kitchen."

"Duty calls." He kissed Clara and headed back.

Elizabeth waited at the counter while Clara plated the desserts.

"Can I just say, you guys are adorable. I love it. Like a family."

Elizabeth blushed, then looked back at her table. They were all laughing at something Dylan had said. "Yeah. It's really starting to feel like that." Her face suddenly fell l.

"Beth? Why do you look nervous?"

"I'm so happy. I just don't want to lose him again."

"You won't."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do. Beth, you both deserve this. He's been waiting for this too. You two together, it's written in the stars, my friend. Always has been."

Elizabeth have a small laugh. "Wonder why we couldn't have figured it out before."

"I wondered all the time why Pete and I struggled to get pregnant. Now finally we are and it's wonderful. Maybe… you guys were supposed to wait so you'd have Harper and Dylan with you," she smiled.

"True, our lives are certainly better with them."

Clara handed her the plate with the brownies and left. As Elizabeth walked back to the table she prayed silently, "Dear Lord, I need to ask, please knit us together as a family."

As soon as she placed the plate on the table, both kids reached in and grabbed one. Elizabeth smiled warmly at them.

Taking her hand Jack asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she answered softly. "I'm really good."


	18. Chapter 18

Fire station, Hyannis

"Chief, this is great!" Lee told Jack as he ate the meatloaf and mashed potatoes Jack had whipped up for dinner.

"Thanks, Coulter."

"Nothing like a home cooked meal."

Lee took another large bite.

"Easy, man. You act like Rosie never feeds you."

"She does but with a thirteen year old boy that eats a lot, I'm usually eating cereal."

That thirteen year old boy was Zachary and Harper had her first crush on him. He was in her English class and sat just to her left and up a row, perfect for catching a glimpse without him realizing. He had a great smile and great hair and had no clue Harper was alive.

In a way, that was a good thing. It was less stressful that way, but on the other hand, she wished he would pay her some attention.

As class ended and it was time for lunch, Dylan caught up to Harper in the hall. "Hey, wait up."

"Hey, Dyl."

"What's going on?"

"Just going to lunch."

"I mean, I saw you. You've been watching Zach Coulter for the last week."

"No I haven't." The lie covered up her embarrassment.

"Yeah, you have. You like him or something?"

"Shhh! Dylan, I don't really want to talk about this."

"We are best friends. We can talk about anything."

"So when you get your first crush on a girl, you're gonna talk to me about it? I doubt that."

"Maybe I will. Come on. Zach is a good guy. Maybe I can help."

"How?"

"Maybe all three of us can study for our test at my house. Seems harmless enough. Mom won't care."

"You would do that?"

"Of course I would. Best friends, remember?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Dylan. That would be fun."

…..

That afternoon….Elizabeth's office

"Ms. Thatcher?" Florence had stepped inside the door.

"Yes, Florence."

"Have you heard from the Chief this afternoon?"

"No, he's working. Why?"

"I just heard about a big fire just outside Hyannis. It's a big warehouse and I heard there were some injuries."

Elizabeth's heart lurched. "He doesn't always fight the fires. I mean, the Chief just supervises….right?"

"Maybe you need to check your phone."

She picked it up. No messages. No missed calls. "Nothing but he is working so he wouldn't have time to call me yet."

She debated whether to call or text his parents. She didn't want to worry them though without knowing anything was actually wrong.

"Please help him be safe," she whispered in prayer. "Please, I can't lose him now."

The rest of the afternoon, she worried. She tried to tell herself that he was going to be fine but her stomach was in knots.

As she and Dylan walked out to her car, they saw Harper getting into Charlotte and Tom's vehicle.

Charlotte saw Elizabeth and got out.

"Elizabeth, he is just fine. He needs to take care of some things at the station so he asked us to pick up Harper."

She nodded and her pent up tears fell. "Thank you."

Charlotte gave her a quick hug and got back in her car.

"Mom, are you okay?"

"Yeah, bud. Let's go home."

"Wait, why did you cry? Did you think Jack was hurt?"

"Yeah. I heard there were injuries at a big fire and I hadn't heard from him so….my mind just went there."

"Why don't we go see him?"

"At the station?"

"Yeah. Why not?"

"He's busy. I'm sure he will call when he has time."

While his mom drove, Dylan texted Jack.

"Please make sure you come see Mom soon, okay? She was so worried."

A few minutes later he got a return text. "Will do, bud."

"Thank you."

At about ten that night, Jack knocked on the cottage door.

"Hey, Blue Eyes."

"Jack." He quickly wrapped her in his arms and held her as long as she needed.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." He gently kissed her, tasting her salty tears. "I was…I heard about the fire and I…"

"You were worried. A little birdie told me to make sure I come see you soon."

"I'll thank him in the morning." She wiped her tears and then hugged him tighter. "I love you so much. I prayed that you were safe. I just found you again, I can't lose you."

"Shhh, sweetheart. I'm here. I'm safe."

He gave her a few more kisses and then he went home, promising to call her the next morning.

….

At school the next day, he brought her a chocolate muffin and a cappuccino.

"Thank you. I need extra caffeine today."

He moved closer, standing with his hands on her hips. "Didn't sleep well?"

"Not really. I guess my bed felt too big last night."

He was surprised at her words. She wasn't normally so forward, not that he minded.

His bed felt big too. Falling asleep with her in his arms on Thanksgiving was heaven. He couldn't wait to have that experience every night.

"I missed you too, Blue Eyes."

She needed to get to work on her emails but she was just so grateful he was alright, she didn't want to let him go. She wrapped her arms around his neck and just breathed in his scent, letting it relax her.

"I love you, Jack."

"Love you more."

…..

That weekend, both kids were at their grandparent's, so Jack and Elizabeth took Lee and Rosie up on an offer to come over for dinner. Their own son Zachary was with his own grandparents so it was adults only.

Elizabeth helped Rosie in the kitchen, chopping lettuce and other veggies for a tossed salad. "Thank you for inviting us over, Rosemary. It's been a long time since I've had lasagna."

"It's our pleasure. I just want to tell you that your Dylan is a delight to have in music class. He's got rhythm on those drums of his."

"I'm glad to hear both of those things, thank you."

"You're welcome. Now what's in the plans for you and our Chief in there?"

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth felt her cheeks heat up.

"I mean, Flo says he comes to see you and brings you coffee and pastries and flowers. What's the scoop?"

"No scoop. We were friends growing up here and then we both went our separate ways and now we both happened to move back to the Cape."

"I love second chance love stories," she said with a squeal. "So romantic."

"It can be."

"Do you think this is it? I mean, is he the one?"

"Rosemary, I know we don't know each other all that well and forgive me for saying this, but you're not going to go tell Florence all of our business, are you? I'd like to have some semblance of privacy."

"No forgiveness necessary. Just so you know, Flo tends to find things out before the rest of us do."

"What are you ladies gabbing about in here?" Lee asked, kissing Rosie's cheek.

"Nothing, dear. Nothing at all."

Jack placed his hand on her lower back and kissed her temple. "Hey, Blue Eyes."

"Hey."

He reached for a piece of green pepper and stuck it in his mouth. "Mm. Veggies."

Elizabeth popped a piece of tomato in her mouth and settled in to enjoy the rest of the evening. Glad her thoughts on Jack were safe from listening ears for now.

After dinner, the couples sat in the Coutlers living room enjoying tea, coffee and a delicious cherry cheesecake. Conversation for the evening had mostly consisted of work and the kids. No more talk about Jack and Elizabeth's relationship or the direction it may be going in. That was a relief for Elizabeth.

"Jack, I almost forgot," Lee began. "Rosie and I decided that all we plan on doing over break is taking Zach skiing a time or two. So we'll be close by if you'd still like me to take over while you're away."

"Perfect! Thanks Lee."

Rosie placed her tea cup on the coffee table and picked up her dessert plate. "I don't think Lee ever mentioned what it was your plans were, Jack. Something fun, I hope!"

"Actually very fun, yeah. Elizabeth and I are talking the kids to Disney World for New Years."

"Really?" Rosie exclaimed. "A little family vacation?" She emphasized the word "family."

"Something like that, yeah." Holding Elizabeth's hand, Jack smiled over at her, but there was a different look in her smile. It seemed almost forced and full of worry.

Jack wanted to address the tension he was feeling from Elizabeth but there wasn't a way to right away.

Rosie talked away about the last time she, Lee and Zach had gone down to Florida for a little vacation. There was no shortage of ideas and suggestions from her.

Once the dessert and coffee cups were empty, Jack stood and announced that they should get going. Thinking nothing of it, Lee and Rosie stood as well and walked them out.

"This was great. We should do it again," Lee said shaking Jack's hand.

While she hugged Elizabeth, Rosie whispered, "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable with my questions. I just adore all four of you, and want you to be happy."

At her kind words, Elizabeth relaxed some. She still wasn't thrilled with how much Rosie, a new friend and coworker knew about her life. She thanked Rosie and followed Jack back out to the truck.

The Drive home..

Except for saying a quiet "thank you" as Jack helped her into the car, Elizabeth hadn't spoken to Jack the entire way back to her home. The tension in the cab of the truck was so thick, a sword would be hard pressed to cut it.

Putting the truck into park in her drive he asked, "May I walk you in?" She nodded.

As they walked up to her door, Jack couldn't take the silence any longer. He touched her arm, turning her to face him. "Blue Eyes, what's wrong? Did Rosie say something to you? I know she can be a bit…"

"Why did you tell them so much about our life Jack?"

Jack stood back stunned. Quickly he ran over everything that had been said over the course of the night. Nothing stuck out as being out of line. Clearly Elizabeth thought otherwise.

"Lee's my friend. I didn't say anything too private, did I?"

"Jack, our whole relationship is private!"

"Okay…"

"You don't get it do you?"

"I guess not." She huffed and and headed up the steps to the front door. Jack took her arm again, stopping her. "Look, sweetie, I'm sorry that what I said bothered you but can I ask you something?"

Closing her eyes, she took a breath."Sure."

"Did I say anything untrue?"

"No."

"Did I say anything that the kids don't already know?"

"No, I suppose not."

"Okay."

"But its no one's business but ours! Rosie is lovely, I like her, but she talks. A lot. To everyone. I bet you anything she's gonna blab our business to Florence, another talker, and then everyone will know by lunch."

"What will they know, Elizabeth?"

Jack's tone and voice was now raised, matching the intensity of hers. "That we're together? That we love each other and our kids? What's so wrong with that?"

"Nothing! It's just… its none of their business, Jack. I don't need people knowing all about us and what we do."

"Let me ask you something. Where do you see this relationship going, Elizabeth? Because if this goes where I hope it does, there's no hiding any of it."

"Jack…"

"No, listen. I love you! And I want everyone in the world to know it. I also love Dylan. We're becoming a family! That's not something you hide from the world. Not unless you're embarrassed by it."

Jack placed his hand on his head and began pacing around. He tried to control his fear that he was losing her again and his frustration at how the conversation was going but it wasn't working. He felt like screaming. Or crying. Maybe both. By the tears in Elizabeth's eyes she was right there too.

"So, is that what's going on here?" he asked calmly, though the hurt was very present in his eyes and voice. "Are you embarrassed by me?

"Of course not!"

"Then what is it?"

"I don't know, Jack! Okay?"

"Okay." Jack was about to lose it. "I should get going. Call me when you know how you feel, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered. She wiped her eyes dry as best as she could and watched him walk away for a moment before turning and going into her home.

From the living room window, Elizabeth watch Jack climb into his truck and pull out of the driveway.

Just as she was about to turn away, she watched as Jack's truck pulled back into the drive behind her car. The engine shut off and he stepped out, heading to the front door.

"What is he doing?"

Lightly, Jack knocked on the door. "Blue Eyes?"

For a moment, Elizabeth paused with her hand on the doorknob. Whatever happened after opening the door could potentially affect their future. A future she knew she wanted. She opened the door.

"I'm sorry," he spoke softly.

The tears streaming down his face broke her heart. Reaching for him, she pulled him close, letting her own tears fall freely.

"I'm sorry too." Leaning back, she wiped away his tears. "Come sit? We need to talk this out." He nodded and followed her over to the couch. They sat down facing each other, as Jack took her hand.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have acted like that. I promised you I would be patient and understanding. I broke that promise tonight. Please forgive me?"

"Of course, Jack. I'm sorry too. You were right, everything you said was true. It just made it so real, sharing it with the Coulters like that."

Jack nodded and let her continue.

"When I was married to Ray, I had to keep everything private. I didn't want people know what he was like. I was so embarrassed. You're not Ray, I'm not trying to say that. You would never hurt us. You are loving and kind, everything I could ever hope for."

"I know, babe. I understand. I take back everything, okay? I told you once we could go as slow as you needed and I meant it. I love you. I want a future with you. Whatever it takes, however long it takes."

"I love you too. You, Harper, Dylan, that's the future I want, Jack." Her tears came back as she went on.

"There was a moment tonight where I thought I might lose you again. I don't think I could survive that."

"You won't, I promise."

"But I'm scared. What if I'm not enough?"

"Elizabeth Thatcher, you are more than enough. Always will be." Jack leaned forward and gently touched his lips to hers, holding them there for a long moment. "You're my forever love."

Moved by his words, Elizabeth deepened their kiss. Both expressing the magnitude of their love while respecting the boundaries they'd set. With that kiss, and the ones that followed, they knew everything was going to be okay.

The next few days went back to normal. The kids were finishing up projects and reports before Winter Break and Elizabeth was drowning in emails, meetings, and plans for Disney.

One afternoon, she was finishing an email to the Superintendent when she heard a knock on her office door.

"Come in."

Harper walked in, tears streaming down her face. "Elizabeth?"

"Honey? What's wrong?"

"I was in English class and….my stomach started hurting so I asked to go to the bathroom."

"Alright. Did you throw up?"

She shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Okay. You can tell me."

She moved closer and sniffled, wiping her eyes. "I think I got my period. There was blood on my underwear and….now I don't have any new ones to wear. I'm so embarrassed."

Elizabeth gave her a hug and waited for her to stop crying. "Come with me, sweetie."

Elizabeth took her into the nurse's office which happened to be empty. She opened the cabinets and pulled out a large plastic bag. "Alright, these should fit you. There are also pads, wipes to freshen up, and some Tylenol if you have cramps. Just go into the bathroom and then when you are done, we can have a talk, alright?"

"Will you stay?"

Elizabeth sat in a chair and nodded. "I'll be right here."

About thirty minutes later, the school day was over and Elizabeth and Harper had had a good talk.

"Thank you, Elizabeth."

"You're welcome. You come see me if you need to okay? I'm always available. Or you can call or text me."

She nodded. "I think I'm going to go home and take a hot bath."

"That sounds great. I'll talk to your dad, okay?"

She nodded and headed to Charlotte's car.

Elizabeth pulled out her phone and texted. "Can we talk?"

"Sure."

She dialed him and headed back to her office. "So, I had a visit from a certain honey bee today."

"You did?"

"Yeah. It seems she started her period."

"What?! She's too young."

"No, she is right on schedule. I was twelve too."

"Is she okay?"

"Of course. Just a bit embarrassed."

"What should I do? I mean I don't know how to handle this."

"Yes, you do. Be you, Jack. Just don't bring it up. Just act normal and she will tell you in time."

"Act normal when my baby girl is….she's…"

"Not a baby anymore."

"Yeah. Wow. I'm glad she had you there."

"Me too."

"We sure are lucky."

……

Finally, it was holiday break. Harper stood by her locker packing up her bag. Dylan was meeting her here and then they'd go to Elizabeth's office. She was driving them back to the cottage where Jack would join them for dinner.

"Hey," Dylan said from behind her.

"Hey." She turned around and nearly dropped her math book. "Hi, Zach."

Zach stood a couple inches taller than Dylan. His light brown hair looked a little messy giving him a surfer boy kind of look.

"Hey, Harper. Ready for break?"

"Yeah."

"Harp and I will be kicking back in Florida for the New Year," Dylan said stretching his hands over his head. "It's gonna be sweet."

"That right? Man, it's a good thing you two get along. Can you imagine being stuck with a possible step sibling that you hated?"

"Luckily for me, Harper's pretty cool."

Harper could feel her cheeks flush. She'd liked Zach for a while, but only from afar. Now here he was, standing in front of her, looking adorable.

"I better go meet up with my mom," Zach said with a playful eye roll.

"Maybe I'll catch you guys over break."

"Sure thing." Dylan gave his friend a fist bump. "Catch you later."

"Yup. Bye, Harper. Merry Christmas."

"You too," Harper smiled, still feeling redness in her cheeks. She prayed no one noticed. Especially Zach. When he'd rounded the corner, Harper slammed her locker shut and punched Dylan in the arm. "Why'd you do that?"

"Do what?" Dylan squawked, rubbing his arm.

"Zach! I wasn't ready to talk to him!"

"I thought you liked him?"

"I do!" she hissed. "But you don't just talk to someone you like! You have to prepare for it."

"Say what…"

"Ugh, you boys know nothing!"

"Wow, are you like, maybe a little hormonal or something? If you are, Mom usually keeps chocolate in her office for this kind of… situation. What me to ask?"

"Unbelievable…"

"What?" Dylan threw his hands up. "Now what did I say?"

Upon arriving at the cottage..

"You kids hungry?" Elizabeth asked as they all hung their coats up. "I have dough in the fridge, I was thinking of making some Christmas cookies."

"I'll help!" Harper offered.

"Great! What about you Dyl?"

"I'm all for eating the cookies, but can I go play music instead?"

"Just don't let it get in the way of the homework that's due tomorrow."

"Yes, Mom." With that, Dylan dashed up the stairs.

Elizabeth went into the kitchen and began pulling out the dough, decorations and other things they needed to make cookies.

"Harper, there's food and drinks in the fridge if you'd like."

"Thanks." Harper walked over to the fridge. "Elizabeth?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"There's Izzy soda in here."

"Yeah! It's your favorite, right?"

"It is… did you get it for me?"

"I did actually. I figured you've been here after school enough you should have the things you like here. There's Sun Chips in the cupboard as well."

"Thanks." Harper turned away, hoping Elizabeth wouldn't see the tears forming in her eyes. Over the past few months, Elizabeth had been attentive and kind, going out of her way to show love for Harper, and she noticed.

Over Thanksgiving when Harper went to visit her mom, things were good, but it seemed as if her mom didn't know her at all. Her mom had already planned to paint Harper's bedroom at the new house pink. Harper was not a pink kind of girl. One night for dinner she made ham, saying she knew it was her favorite. It wasn't. In fact she'd never liked ham.

"You alright, sweetie?" Elizabeth asked, placing a kind hand on Harper's shoulder. Harper turned around and hugged her.

"Thanks for loving my dad, Elizabeth."

"You're welcome, Harp. But remember, I love you."

"I love you too."

….

Jack pulled his truck into Elizabeth's drive after his shift. It hadn't been a particularly hard shift, just busy. Their upcoming trip down to Florida was also stealing a lot of Jack's focus.

The main objective for the trip was for them to give this a try as a "family", but Jack was desperate for some alone time with Elizabeth. They hadn't had any since dinner with Lee and Rosie. With their kids old enough to explore some of the parks on their own, Jack and Elizabeth could take time for each other for a bit.

He turned the doorknob to enter the cottage but it was locked. He knocked on the door, but the sound of a young boys drum set seemed to overpower it. Jack used the key Elizabeth gave him before and let himself in.

Harper was coming towards the door when it opened and he stepped into the entryway.

"Smells good in here!" Jack shed his coat and boots.

"We made Christmas cookies!" Harper grinned. "You have to try one, Dad. Elizabeth's so good."

"I don't doubt it," he winked at Elizabeth as they walked into the kitchen. Jack took the cookie handed to him and took the mitten shaped cookie from his daughter. "Oh wow, this is good."

"Thanks," Elizabeth said with a shy smile as Jack leaned in and kissed her cheek. They were still trying to express very little PDA around the kids. This was becoming more and more of a challenge.

"Harp, can you let Dylan know it's just about dinnertime?"

"Sure." She took off her apron and hurried up the stairs towards the loud rhythmic noise.

Once she was out of sight, Elizabeth took Jack's hand. "While we're alone, how about you come give me a proper greeting?"

"Gladly." He pulled her close, kissing her deeply. "I missed you today," he whispered against her lips.

"I missed you too. I can't wait for our trip."

"It will be a week to remember."

Wrapped up in their own little world, neither heard the kids come back downstairs.

Dylan cleared his throat. "FYI, there are children present."

"Oh, hi. How was school?" Jack asked, reluctantly stepping away from Elizabeth.

"Fine," both kids answered.

While sitting around the table for dinner, Jack invited Elizabeth and Dylan to come to their home for Christmas Eve dinner before the church service. Both would be spending Christmas day with their parents. Elizabeth and Dylan both agreed to come, making Harper and Jack very happy.

After dinner, they went into Elizabeth's living room to listen to old Christian music while decorating the tree. Harper teased Dylan over the numerous handmade ornaments as well as ones that had pictures of him through the years, one in particular where he was missing both of his two front teeth.

"This is classic right here."

"Just put it on the tree, Thornton!" Dylan exclaimed.

"Not til I get a picture of this. It's too good."

"Is this payback for earlier? I swear, I don't get what I did wrong."

"What are you two talking about?" Jack asked.

"Nothing, Dad."

"Sure sounds like something," Elizabeth added.

"Let's just say Dylan doesn't understand women."

"You're not a woman!" Dylan yelled. "You're 12. Just like me."

"I am too a woman! Just… a young one."

"Liking Zack Coulter doesn't make you a woman."

"You little!!"

"Alright children! Separate corners!!" Elizabeth yelled, separating them. "Harper, as far as Dylan last comment goes, consider it forgotten. And Dylan… really?? Apologize."

"Sorry," he groaned.

"It's okay, I guess." Harper muttered.

"There," Elizabeth sighed. "How about I make some hot chocolate for us and you two can try decorating without killing each other?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Yes, Elizabeth."

Jack followed Elizabeth into the kitchen, his hand covering his grin and laugh. Leaning over to Elizabeth he whispered, "Is it just me or was that a sibling spat?"

"Sure was," she laughed.

When Christmas Eve arrived, Jack stood in his kitchen wearing a blue apron over his dress clothes. Harper was peeling and cutting potatoes while Jack focused on the rolls and chicken that were baking in the oven.

"Smells good in here, Dad."

"Thanks, honey bee. This is our first Christmas with Elizabeth and Dylan. I want it to be perfect."

"From what Dylan's told me about holidays before, when his dad was around, this will be pretty perfect."

"Hello?" Elizabeth called into the house as she and her son entered. "I come bearing dessert!"

"Awesome!" Harper rushed to greet their guest and took the pie from Elizabeth.

Taking three long strides, Jack moved to stand in front of Elizabeth. "Merry Christmas, Blue Eyes."

"Merry Christmas.," she smiled back just as he kissed her lips.

"Again," Dylan began. "There are children present."

"Forget it," Harper laughed. "Dad put up mistletoe in half the doorways of the house."

"Dude!" Dylan shivered. "Should we leave you two alone in the kitchen then?"

"Good idea," Elizabeth teased. Jack made the kids two mugs of hot cocoa and sent them into the living room to watch TV. Once alone, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Jack's waist, leaned in and kissed his neck softly. "I miss you."

"I miss you too. Things at the station have been crazy and then there's you with your finals."

"Two more days though and we'll be away on vacation."

"True, but with our kids."

"We'll find some alone time. We'll make sure of it." She kissed him again. This time, she deepened the kiss, taking his breath away.

Ever since their big discussion after dinner with the Coulters, Elizabeth made it loud and clear how she felt about Jack. He loved it, though he wasn't sure how much longer he could stand them not being together as husband and wife. He was ready. She seemed to be too.

After dinner, they all piled into Jack's car for the church service.

William and Grace were already there, sitting in the middle on the left side of the sanctuary. Dylan and Harper split off to say hello to their friends so Jack and Elizabeth went to take their seats in front of Elizabeth's parents.

"Merry Christmas, you two," William smiled and extended a hand to Jack.

"You as well, sir."

"Did you have a nice Christmas Eve together?" Grace asked.

"So far, yes!" Elizabeth beamed as she leaned into Jack's side. "We're heading back there after the service."

"Harper and I have a tradition of watching Muppet Christmas Carol every Christmas Eve. We wanted to include Dylan and Elizabeth this year."

"That's lovely. I know Dylan has really loved being around you, Jack," spoke Grace.

"The feeling is very mutual, Mrs. Thatcher."

Charlotte and Tom came in just before the service began. They slid into the pew next to William and Grace.

"This is pretty cool, huh?" Dylan whispered to Harper. "It's like we're all a family or something."

"Yeah," Harper smiled. "It's nice."

The candlelight service was beautiful. A short message by the pastor was followed by singing by the congregation, choir and children's choir. When it ended, they all said their goodbyes and headed back to Jack's home.

In the parking lot, Charlotte watched her son, granddaughter, Dylan and Elizabeth walk to the truck. Turning to Grace she asked. "They seem happy."

"Very," Grace smiled. "You think Jack will make a move to make it permanent?"

"Oh, I sure hope so!" Charlotte laughed. "Heaven knows we already think of Dylan and Beth as family."

"We feel the same way about sweet Harper and Jack."

….

Back at the house, Jack placed a large bowl of popcorn on the coffee table as well as a plate of Christmas treats. When Elizabeth came in with a tray of hot cocoa for everyone, Jack stood from his chair.

"Before we start the movie. I have presents for you and Dylan."

"That's so sweet, Jack!" Elizabeth gushed. "You didn't have to do that. Though I do have something for you and Harper."

"You want to go first?" Jack asked. Elizabeth nodded and walked over to the entryway and grabbed two gifts that she'd left there.

"This is for you, sweetie." She pulled out a light blue christmas stocking with sparkling snowflakes on it.

"It's so pretty!" Harper looked inside. There was nail polish, hair ties, chapstick, lotions and perfumes. "Wow! This is so cool!"

"Look at the bottom," Elizabeth suggested.

Harper carefully dumped out the stocking. At the bottom was a velvet box. She picked it up and looked at Elizabeth in shock.

"It's okay, Harp," Elizabeth giggled. "Open it."

"Wow…" Harper gaped. "Just wow!"

"What is it?" Jack asked, though he already knew what it was.

"It's a charm bracelet. There's two charms already. A horse and a castle." She looked closer. "Its Cinderella's castle!"

"The horse," Elizabeth explained. "represents your favorite book, Black Beauty. The castle is for our trip. Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love this! Thank you!" Harper leapt off the couch and hugged Elizabeth tight. Elizabeth could feel tears forming in her eyes. Oh, how she loved this precious young woman already.

"Can't wait to see what you've got for me." Jack smirked.

"It's right here." She handed him a flat package wrapped in red wrapping paper. "I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will." Jack ripped the paper off and smiled. "It's beautiful, Blue Eyes."

"What is it?" Harper asked.

Jack turned the frame around to show off a beautiful drawing of the beach. Also in the picture was two figures. A man, that looked a lot like Jack playing a guitar and a woman, who looked like Elizabeth holding a book."

"That's awesome, Mom!" Dylan praised.

"Thank you, hon. Jack, there's a note on the back of the frame for you."

Jack flipped it over and read the note.

"My dear, Jack,

If it wasn't for you, I may never have drawn another picture. But with your love and encouragement, I can move mountains. I love you with all my heart. Yours, Blue Eyes."

"I love it, Elizabeth, and I love you. Always will." Jack carefully placed the picture under the tree and grabbed a wrapped box. "For you, love."

Elizabeth opened it and pulled out a beautiful leather bound sketchbook and new drawing pens. "This is wonderful, I can't wait to use it."

She then pulled out another book. This one was a medium size photo album with Mickey Mouse on the cover. Elizabeth laughed as she flipped through the blank pages.

"I thought you'd like that for all the photos we take on the trip."

"It's perfect, thank you." She leaned in, kissing Jack softly.

"Don't worry, Dylan." Jack said standing up from the floor. "I didn't forget you."

They waited as Jack stepped into his bedroom. He came out carrying a weathered, hard guitar case with a few old band stickers.

"Did you write me a song or something?" Dylan teased, recognizing the case as Jack's old guitar.

"Nope." Jack grinned. "This is my first guitar. I learned a lot of songs on this baby. I took it to a guy in Wellfleet and he finished it." He handed the case to Dylan.

"Dang!" he said opening it. "It looks almost new! Wait, you want me to have this?"

"Yes. Flip it over." He did, and saw words carved into the back.

"May music fill your soul. Love Jack."

"It's all yours."

"Thanks, Jack! This is awesome!"

Once the wrapping had all been cleaned up, they curled up under blankets and watched the Thornton family traditional movie. Jack sat in the middle with his arm around Elizabeth and his daughter resting her head on his shoulder. Dylan sat next to Elizabeth.

When the movie ended. Dylan gave Harper a fist bump goodbye then gave Jack a hug. "Thanks again for the guitar."

"You're most welcome, bud. See you the day after tomorrow."

"Okay. Night."

Jack helped Elizabeth with her coat and walked her and Dylan outside. Dylan rushed off out of the cold into the car, leaving them alone on the steps. He wrapped her up in his arms and rested his forehead against hers.

"I wish you weren't leaving."

"I feel the same way. Tonight was wonderful, Jack. Really."

"I couldn't agree more." He lightly pressed his lips to hers, holding there a moment before moving deeper.

Their kiss continued till a car horn went off. Jumping apart, they both looked down at Dylan, a mischievous grin plastered across his face.

"I guess that's my cue to go."

"I guess so." With one last kiss, Jack watched Elizabeth and Dylan drive out of sight then climbed the steps back into the warm house. He walked back into the living room and fell into the couch.

"Dad?" Harper spoke from behind him on the stairs. "You okay?"

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

"You don't like it when she leaves, huh?"

Jack gave his insightful little girl a smile and a soft laugh. "Not so much, no."

"Maybe… maybe you should just ask her to marry you. Then should wouldn't leave."

"You'd be okay with that, honey bee?"

Harper nodded. "Yeah."


	19. Chapter 19

Jack texted Dylan on Christmas Day. "Want to go bowling? Just you and me, bud?"

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yeah, Dylan."

"Jack wants to know if I can go bowling. Just him and me."

"Today?"

"Yeah."

"Sure. That would be fine."

"Thanks, Mom."

Dylan texted Jack back and they made plans to go around lunch time.

Jack grabbed the little box from his top dresser drawer and stuffed it in his pocket. Then he put his wallet in his back pocket and headed downstairs.

As he drove the short distance to the cottage, he got a bit nervous but he was ready. The man-to-man talk they were going to have was going to dictate how the Florida trip would go.

"Hey, Jack," Dylan said as he climbed in the truck.

"Merry Christmas, bud. How was your morning?"

"Good. We ate breakfast at Grandpa and Grandma's and opened presents."

"Oh, that reminds me. I have gifts for you and your mom from my parents in the back seat."

"Your mom and dad got us presents?"

"Yeah. They know how important you both are to me. You're family."

"Not quite."

"True. I was hoping we could chat about that today actually."

"Okay. Are you going to finally ask Mom to marry you?"

"That depends on what you say. I heard from a little birdie that you wanted me to ask your permission first." Jack pulled into the parking lot of the bowling alley and turned to Dylan. "Dylan, I love your mom. With all of my heart."

"I know, Jack. You don't need to ask me. I know you will never hurt her or me. She is happy with you and that is all I want. Plus, I think it will be pretty cool to have a Dad that actually likes me and pays attention to me."

"I don't just like you, I love you, bud. And this kinda thing, the guy's day, will be a regular occurrence for us."

"Cool. When are you going to ask her?"

"On our vacation. I thought maybe you and Harp would like to help me get everything set up."

"Yeah! That would be awesome."

"Great. Let's talk plans while we bowl."

They planned the whole thing that day and Jack even got Dylan's approval on the ring that he'd bought her weeks before. By the time he went home, he was looking forward to the next day and the start of their epic vacation.

"Your Dad just told me he is going 2 propose!" Dylan texted Harper as they drove home.

"Yeah. Cool, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm glad we get 2 help. I can't wait 2 C her face."

"This is going 2 B a great vacation!"

"Yeah. Remember we r riding the Tower of Terror. No chickening out!" he reminded her.

"Yeah yeah."

Jack glanced at Dylan. "Tell Harp she better be packed."

Dylan smiled and fired off the text. "Told her. She says, "Relax, Dad."

"Tell her I've been relaxed. Now we are just running out of time. Six AM comes fast."

"She says she's packed. And she says you just need to worry about not forgetting the ring."

"Tell her to stop sassing."

Dylan laughed after texting her. "She stuck her tongue out at you."

Jack smiled and shook his head. He loved his sassy daughter.

Jack headed inside the cottage with Dylan when they arrived.

"Mom?"

"In the kitchen, honey."

"We're back."

"Great. We need to leave for Grandpa and Grandpa's in one hour. Can you go take a shower please and get dressed?"

"I don't need a shower."

"Dylan…"

"Yes, ma'am." Dylan gave Jack a fist bump and headed upstairs.

Jack reached for Elizabeth and pulled her close, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Hey, Blue Eyes."

"Hey. Thanks for taking Dylan out. He needs time with another guy sometimes."

"Glad to do it."

Jack gently tucked her hair behind her ears and gazed lovingly into her eyes. He could not wait to make her his wife. He wanted to come home to her every night and hold her and kiss her without holding anything back.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, breaking into his thoughts.

"How much you and Dylan mean to me. How much I love you."

She smiled and gave him a kiss. "I love you too."

After a few more kisses, he reminded her that he and Harper would be by to pick them up at 6 am so they could catch their flight and then left to head home.

The following day after a non-eventful 5 hour flight to Orlando, Jack, Elizabeth, and the kids rented a car and using the GPS on Jack's phone, drove to the timeshare condo that William's friend had offered them.

"Whoa, Blue Eyes. This place is great!" Jack told her as the foursome walked into the house.

The look of the furniture and decorations reminded him of a cabin in the woods. It had a huge curved leather sofa, a stone fireplace that reached up to the ceiling and lots of wood. It felt cozy and he was happy to stay there with his family. That's what they were and legally would be very soon if he got the answer he was expecting in a few days.

"Yeah. Dad's friend Frank is a classic bachelor type."

"Well, I love it. How many bedrooms?"

"Three, so someone needs to sleep on the couch."

"I will," he told her.

"I was thinking more like Dylan."

"He and Harp are upstairs choosing their rooms now." He took her hand and pulled her to the couch and snuggled close. "Can you believe we are here, together, in Florida, honey?"

"Yeah. I'm very glad we are."

"Me too." He slowly kissed her lips, losing himself momentarily until they heard a pair of groans on the balcony that looked down into the living room.

"Get a room," Dylan laughed.

"Sass!" Jack said, waving them back to their rooms. "Twenty minutes and we can head to Animal Kingdom."

"Woohoo!" they shouted, making Jack and Elizabeth laugh.

Jack kissed her again and then pulled her up off the couch. "I guess we should get unpacked so we can go."

As they entered the park a bit later, Dylan announced that he had done research and they absolutely needed to go on Expedition Everest.

So they headed to stand in line. It took about thirty minutes but they were finally seated in the steel roller coaster car awaiting the first movement.

Harper sat next to Elizabeth while the boys were right in front of them. "You like rollercoasters, Elizabeth?"

"Not the biggest fan but I'll try anything at least once. What about you?"

"Never been on one. Should I be scared?"

"No, just be prepared for some excitement." Elizabeth held out her hand. "I'm here. Just hold on to me."

Harper slipped her fingers between Elizabeth's and took a deep breath as the ride started.

The girls screamed at various points in the ride, their hearts beating fast when the Yeti appeared, but all in all, they had a good time.

"I want to do that again!" Dylan announced the moment the ride stopped.

"Let's get lunch first," Elizabeth suggested. "I'm starving."

Pizzafari was what Dylan and Harper chose. As they waited for their large pepperoni and ham pizza to be delivered, they planned out where they would be headed each day.

"Tonight though, I'd like to do the Kilimanjaro Safari. I heard its amazing," Jack told them. "What do you think?" he asked.

"Yeah, that sounds great!" Harper agreed.

The safari ride lasted about twenty five minutes and because it was evening they were able to see animals that were mostly nocturnal. Jack just enjoyed being there with the family and getting to hold Elizabeth's hand through the whole thing, sneaking a kiss once it got dark.

As they wandered back to the parking lot where their rental was, his hand found hers again. She smiled at him and all he could think was how she was going to be his fiancé in just a couple days. He couldn't wait.

The kids climbed in so he walked her over to the passenger side and pulled her into his arms. "Good first day," he mentioned before giving her a kiss.

"Yeah."

Dylan knocked on the window and yelled "Get a room!" and then started laughing.

Jack took that as a challenge. He pulled her close again and kissed her even longer, making a show of it. Elizabeth laughed and smacked his arm. "Be good, sweetheart."

"I'm being good."

"We don't need to embarrass the kids."

"I think they'd better get used to this. I don't plan on stopping for the rest of our lives."

The next day, Dylan and Harper were waiting in line for the Tower of Terror. They'd spent part of the day with their parents, checking out attractions after breakfast. Now they waited in a long line for their ride.

"So we've got some time here," Dylan began. "How do you really feel about this whole proposal thing that's about to happen?"

"It's a little weird, huh? I mean, who would've guessed when we met in homeroom, that our parents were like high school sweethearts or something."

"Seriously. It's so weird." Both laughed. "I guess we'll be what? Step siblings?"

"I guess." The two moved forward a little in line. "You know how in all those movies, the step mom, dad, sister, are all mean?"

"What like in Cinderella?" She nodded.

"Yeah but we don't have to worry about that."

"Right, I guess what I'm thinking is…" She huffed. "Forget it."

"Hold it, sister," Dylan gave her a playful flick in the arm with his finger. "Talk."

"I'm not going to call you my step brother. You're my brother. Okay? None of this step stuff."

"Works for me." He smiled. "Does this mean I can officially intimidate any and all boyfriends you ever bring home?"

"No!" She gasped. "That's Dad's job and I don't even want him doing it."

"No way! I think it's also the big brother's job."

"I'm older than you, dork. Your birthday isn't till March."

"Maybe, but I'm taller."

"Your point?"

"My point is that I am the "big" brother. So deal with it."

"Whatever!" She laughed as they moved forward again. "You think they'll want more kids?"

"What like a baby?"

"Yeah," she shrugged. "Isn't that what married people do? Have babies?"

Dylan scrunched up his nose at the thought. "I guess. Aren't Mom and Dad a little old for that though?"

"Beats me. They sure kiss a lot."

A visible shiver ran through Dylan's body. "New subject please."

"What?" Harper teased. "Our parents make you sick to your stomach?"

"Sometimes… yes!" They laughed.

"Just wait. A couple years and they'll be catching you kissing on the front porch." She made a few kissy noises as she teased.

"Are you serious? Me and who?"

"I don't know. Maybe Em Montgomery?" She sang the name.

"Emily…. and me? Gross!" The thought caught him completely off guard. "Wait, you think she'd go for me someday?"

Harper gasped. "No way! You do like her? OMG! She is going to flip when I tell her!"

"Hold it!" Dylan snatched her cell right out of her hands and held it up over his head. "You tell Emily, I tell Coulter."

"Ouch! That's fair though."

"Thank you…" Dylan sighed handing her back her phone. "And Harp?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad we're gonna be a family."

"Me too."

In another part of the park, Jack and Elizabeth walked hand in hand through the different shops. After picking up a few gifts for their parents and a couple small surprise things for the kids, they stopped at a scoop shop for some ice cream.

Elizabeth smiled at Jack as he sat across from her. His double chocolate ice cream had left a mark on his chin.

"You're adorable. Like a small child."

"What?" he narrowed his gaze. Elizabeth pointed to his chin. "Oh!" With the back of his hand he wiped it clean.

"Hopeless." She shook her head. "You know how hard I've tried to get Dylan to just use a napkin?"

"We're guys, Blue Eyes. No napkins for us."

"Clearly," she laughed. Her phone buzzed. "Aw, look! The kids sent me a picture."

She turned the phone to Jack so he could see the selfie Dylan took of himself and Harper waiting in line. The message said "Just letting you know we're still alive."

"Funny guy," she messaged back. "Have fun!"

"They seem to be getting along well," Jack stated.

"They are. They seem to have a solid bond."

"Almost like brother and sister?"

Bashfully, she smiled."Yes, just like that, actually."

Jack reached across the little round table and took her hand. He said nothing, just gazed lovingly at her. Tonight would be the night. He'd ask her the question that would solidify what was already there. A once in a lifetime love, the four of them as a family. It was time.

"Earth to Jack?" Elizabeth waved her cone in the air. "Where'd you go just then? You seemed to lose yourself in thought."

"Sorry, just thinking about life. Us. The future."

"Things are pretty great right now, huh?"

"I couldn't agree more."

As they drove back to the condo for dinner, the kids couldn't stop talking about the fun they'd had.

"You should have heard him scream, it was the funniest thing ever!" Harper said with an evil laugh.

"It dropped sooner than I expected, that's all!"

"It's called "random drops" for a reason, bro."

"You're acting as if you didn't scream yourself."

"I'm a girl, its expected."

Jack looked back at the two of them and grinned. Dylan was wearing his new Animal baseball cap he'd got at the 3D Muppet Show they'd all seen that afternoon. Harper was wearing a cute tee she'd got in the gift shop of Tower of Terror.

"So kids, what do you want to do tonight?"

"Can watch a movie? The condo has got a ton," Dylan suggested.

"Yeah! We can order food from that taco place down the street! I'm all for movie night!" Harper said excitedly.

"That could work. What about you Blue Eyes?" Jack glanced over. "Let the kids watch a movie and we'll do dinner on the beach?"

"I kind of like the sound of that," she grinned. "You kids alright if we do something different?"

"Go for it. We're big kids now Mom. Go do that romantic staring into each others eyes crap you like so much."

"Dylan Christopher!" she scolded as she laughed. "Not a very classy way to put it but sure, we'll do that."

When they arrived back at the condo, the kids decided to dress in their beach gear and hit the sand before dinner. Elizabeth snuggled in on the couch with her book, enjoying the quiet.

"Blue Eyes, I'm gonna head into town real quick and pick up dinner for us."

"What about the kids?"

"They gave me a list. I know what they want."

"Alright then." she giggled. "I'll go out on the beach with the kids and keep an eye on them in the water."

"No need. They're just walking right now. I told them no water. You rest. How about you meet me on the beach in say, 30 minutes? There's a nice little spot just down the beach on the left."

"Perfect, I'll be there."

Leaning down towards Elizabeth, Jack kissed her sweetly on the lips. "See you in a bit. Love you."

"Love you more."

"Not possible."

Twenty minutes later, the kids stomped in the condo, covered in sand from head to toe, laughing loudly at something.

"What are you two up to?"

"Nothing," they said in unison.

"Alright, I'm gonna go up and change for the beach. You guys okay?"

"Yup. We're just gonna go pick a movie from the den," Harper grinned.

Out in the previous mentioned spot, Jack waited for Elizabeth to show up. Dylan and Harper had been great in helping him set up the heart of candles on the beach and the blanket with a picnic dinner.

He watched in the dim light as two young figures rushed through the sand in the distance. A moment later his phone went off.

"Mission's a go, Dad." Harper messaged.

They were now hidden behind a small sand dune, waiting for Elizabeth to come so they could be a part of it.

Jack felt in his pocket for the tenth time.

Yes, it was still there. He took a deep breath and let it out. Then his eyes lifted and he saw her. Gorgeous in her teal bikini and matching lacy cover up. The sun was setting on the water and she was perfect.

"Hey there." She smiled lovingly. "This is nice." Looking closer, her eyes saw the heart shaped candle formation in the sand. "Jack, what's going on?"

"Dance with me, Blue Eyes?"

He pushed play on his spotify app and slipped it in his pocket. It started playing on the small bluetooth speaker he'd set up one of his favorite songs that made him think of her. Bryan Adam's Heaven.

She stepped into his arms, dancing close among the candles.

"Oh thinkin' about all our younger years

There was only you and me

We were young and wild and free

Now nothing can take you away from me

We've been down that road before

But that's over now

You keep me comin' back for more

And baby you're all that I want

When you're lyin' here in my arms

I'm findin' it hard to believe

We're in heaven

And love is all that I need

And I found it there in your heart

It isn't too hard to see

We're in heaven

Oh once in your life you find someone

Who will turn your world around

Bring you up when you're feelin' down

Now nothin' can change what you mean to me

Oh there's lots that I could say

But just hold me now

'Cause our love will light the way

And Baby you're all that I want

When you're lyin' here in my arms

I'm findin' it hard to believe

We're in heaven

And love is all that I need

And I found it there in your heart

It isn't too hard to see

We're in heaven

I've been waitin' for so long

For somethin' to arrive

For love to come along

Now our dreams are comin' true

Through the good times and the bad

I'll be standin' there by you, oh!

And baby you're all that I want

When you're lyin' here in my arms

I'm findin' it hard to believe

We're in heaven

And love is all that I need

And I found it there in your heart

It isn't too hard to see

We're in heaven, heaven

Whoa, oh, oh!

You're all that I want

You're all that I need

We're in heaven

We're in heaven

We're in heaven"

As the song ended, Jack moved back just a step, keeping hold of her hands and gazing into her eyes.

"Elizabeth, I am so in love with you. I had no idea what I felt for you all those years ago until I saw you again. Now I know it was love. And this love I feel for you now is a thousand times deeper than it was back then." He paused and knelt down on his knee.

"Jack," she whispered, so overwhelmed by what was happening.

"Elizabeth, I don't want to live without you. Will you marry me?"

"Yes." She smiled as he slipped the gorgeous ring on her hand. "Absolutely yes."

He pulled her into his arms, lifting her off the ground as he kissed her soft, sweet lips.

"WOOHOO!!!" Dylan and Harper yelled from a few feet away as they rushed towards their parents.

Jack kept kissing her a bit longer before setting her gently back on the sand.

"I thought you two were watching a movie," Elizabeth questioned.

"We wanted to help, Mom. We're going back now." He gave his mom a hug and then Jack. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, bud."

Harper didn't say anything. She just gave them a hug.

"Harp? You okay?" Elizabeth asked, smoothing the girls golden hair back.

"Yeah." She sniffled and wiped her cheeks.

"Are you happy?"

"Yes." She nodded and gave Elizabeth another hug. "I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

"Come on, Harp. Jack said we can order anything we want from the Mexican place. They deliver!"

"Really?" Jack nodded and handed his daughter his credit card. "Awesome!"

As they ran off, Jack yelled. "Use common sense!" He laughed. "I have a feeling my credit card is about to take a hit."

"Who cares?" She pulled Jack close. "Tonight we are all celebrating."

"Yes we are," he grinned then gave her a kiss that carried all his love and passion for his soon to be bride.

A couple days later, Jack pulled into the driveway of Elizabeth's beach side cottage on the Cape. It was nearly midnight.

"We're back," Jack called out into the back seat where both kids had been asleep.

"Finally," Dylan said as she opened his car door. "That nighttime traffic was a nightmare."

"And the delays at the airport," Harper groaned. "Who knew a plane couldn't fly through ice." Bad weather in the north made it so their plane had to be rerouted to Atlanta. It took them hours of waiting in the airport before they boarded the last flight home.

"Well, we're home now," Elizabeth smiled.

"Wait a second," Dylan said as they all climbed out of the car. "How much longer is this home? I mean, you're engaged now."

Jack and Elizabeth looked at each other. They'd talked about it some, but hadn't narrowed down a time frame.

"I'm not sure, sweetie. But I promise you both, when we know, you'll know."

"Fair enough." Dylan grabbed his suitcase and after saying goodbye headed into the house.

Harper gave Elizabeth a hug then sleepily climbed back into the car, ready to be back in her own bed.

"Dylan has a point," Elizabeth said softly as Jack wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close. "The kids need to know what their future looks like. Lord knows they both had enough changes and uprooting in their lives."

"You're right. Harp's got Ashley's wedding this summer. I know she's hoping Harp will spend some time down there beforehand."

"That's fair. I guess we could get married in the fall?"

"Maybe." He leaned down for a kiss. He'd been staring at her tempting lips for too long today without being able to do much about it. With Dylan inside and Harper back asleep in the truck, now was the time. "I might have a better idea."


	20. Chapter 20

The next morning, Jack pushed an almost full cart down the aisle of a very busy grocery store. Tonight was New Year's Eve, and the whole family as well as some friends were gathering at Jack's house to celebrate. This would be when they'd share their big news about their engagement.

In the driveway the night before, with Harper asleep in the truck and Dylan inside the cottage, the newly engaged couple tried to pull themselves apart, but it was hard. Even the frigid winter air couldn't stop them.

"I can't wait to make you my wife," he whispered into her ear.

"I have plans tomorrow," she teased. "You free Monday?"

"I'm not kidding, Blue Eyes. I don't think I can do a long engagement."

"What are you thinking?"

Resting his forehead against hers, he thought for a long moment. "Valentine's Day."

"Jack, that's a month and a half away!"

"But doable, right?"

"I guess. I mean, I don't need anything fancy. Just you, me and the kids."

"Okay, so…"

"Valentine's Day it is." She kissed him. "Now as much as I love this, I'm freezing!"

He kissed her nose. "Go. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, love you."

"Love you too."

Their time outside the cottage played over and over again in his mind as he walked down the frozen food section. He grabbed a couple gallons of ice cream as his phone rang. The name on the ID surprised him.

"Hey, Ash. What's up?"

"Not much. Though I just got off the phone with Harper. We had a very interesting conversation." She let out a laugh. "Sounds like congratulations are in order."

Jack winced. He'd wanted to call Ashley and let her know about the engagement personally. Clearly his daughter was more on the ball than he was.

"Yeah, I proposed to Elizabeth on our vacation. I was going to call and tell you later today, I promise."

"Don't worry about it, Jack. I'm not upset. I'm happy for you, really. Harper has nothing but wonderful things to say about Elizabeth. Her son too. She actually seems excited to have a brother."

"They're actually pretty great as siblings. It's been nice to see." Jack grabbed a few more items during the pause in the conversation. "So... you're okay with there being another woman in Harp's life?"

"Yeah, I think I am. I wouldn't have been a few months ago, but I guess this is what it's like when you're a divorced parent. I want what's best for Harper no matter what. And really, it's hard to be a teen. The more supportive, loving adults in her corner the better, right?"

"I completely agree."

"Look at us talking all friendly," Ashley laughed. "Do Elizabeth and her ex have a similar relationship?"

"Uh, no. He's not really in the picture. Basically the stereotypical jerk of an ex-husband. Verbally abusive and all that to Elizabeth. Ignores Dylan unless he needs something from the boy. But don't worry, he won't affect Harper's life, I promise."

"I trust you." She sighed and thought about what it would've been like to be in Elizabeth's shoes in that first marriage. She and Jack had had their issues, but nothing like that. "Well, yikes. Good thing Elizabeth has you in her corner now. The kid too."

"Thanks for saying that."

"So when's the big day?"

"Valentine's Day."

"As in next month's Valentines Day or next year?"

"Next month…"Jack said cautiously. He expected that bit of news to ruffle Ashley's feathers a bit. Instead, she just laughed.

"Had to one up me and get hitched first, huh?"

Jack laughed. "No, that's not it at all. We're just ready. And this way the kids can settle into their new life sooner, rather than just waiting and wondering what it will be like when everything changes."

"Good idea." Ashley grew quiet again. "Are you sure there's no other reason why you're rushing to get married, Jack?"

"Like what?"

"Well, I don't know, maybe there's a little one on the way?"

"No, Ash. You know me better than that."

"Of course, but you're an adult and things happen."

"Yes, but that's not the case here. No buns in the oven."

"Okay, just checking, and really, I'm happy for you."

"Thanks. I'm glad."

….

At the house, Elizabeth and Harper decorated for the evening's festivities while Dylan, the budding rockstar, hung out in Jack's little soundproof nook downstairs on the electric guitar.

Harper rearranged some of the furniture in the living room to make more room for mingling. She stood back when she was finished and admired the room. As she did, she noticed something. The house, with the exception of a very muted guitar sound, was silent.

"Elizabeth? I think you guys should totally move in here when you and Dad get married," Harper stated. "I can barely hear a thing with Dylan in that room."

"It's nice. A lot different from being at the cottage," she laughed. The walls and floor were thin at the cottage. Every note Dylan played, she heard. "Sure you're okay with us moving in after we're married?"

"Yup. But I'm keeping the bigger room upstairs. It's only fair, I think."

"Because you were here first?"

"Well, yes but I was thinking he'll probably live in that little room downstairs playing rockstar. So technically, he'll have two rooms. It's only fair the one I have is bigger."

"Fair enough," Elizabeth giggled. "We can talk it over with your dad later."

Walking back into the kitchen to work on her all time famous buffalo chicken dip, Elizabeth heard her phone buzz on the counter. She figured it would be Jack or her parents, but flipping it over to see the screen, she saw Ray's name flashing.

Wanting to ring in the new year without her ex, she ignored it and placed the phone back down on the counter.

Making herself a cup of tea, Elizabeth sat at the bar in Jack's kitchen, staring down at the beautiful ring he'd given her. A promise. A future. She realized she needed to tell Ray. In the excitement around their future she'd almost forgotten. Now her mind raced with all the possibilities of how that conversation could go.

She wandered off in her thoughts for a while because the next thing she knew, Jack was in the kitchen unloading groceries.

"Blue Eyes?"

"Huh, what?"

"You alright? You haven't said a word to me since I got in."

"Sorry. Just thinking about things."

"Nervous about tonight?"

"Nope!" She smiled, then moved to wrap her arms around his waist. "Everyone knows how happy we make each other. All our friends and family will be happy for us."

He kissed her lips, lingering there for a moment.

"I can't wait to make you my wife."

"You said that last night." She blushed. Before she could kiss him again, her phone buzzed almost off the counter. Same caller as before. Ray.

"You need to answer that?" Jack asked.

"No. It's no one important." She kissed his cheek and walked out to help Harper, passing Dylan as she went.

Dylan knew his mom well. Something about her demeanor was off. When she wasn't looking, he grabbed her phone off the counter, checking the missed calls.

"What do you want?" he growled under his breath.

He slipped the phone in his pocket and headed out to the living room.

"How was your music session?" Elizabeth asked him, her usual smile back on her face. Dylan loved when she smiled like that. She was happy, truly and completely.

"Good. May I take a walk?"

"It's freezing out. You sure you want to walk?"

"Yeah. Just around the block."

Elizabeth studied his eyes. He looked as if he was up to something. She had no idea what it could be though.

"Sure. Bundle up. Maybe Harp wants to go too?"

"Sure, give me a sec." Quickly she got up off the floor by the wood stove and went to get a hoodie from her closet.

All bundled in their jackets, hats and gloves, the two kids walked four homes down before speaking.

"Okay, what gives?" Harper spoke.

"What do you mean?"

"Your mom was right. It's like the Arctic out here and you have us walking like it's the March of the Penguins."

"You didn't have to come."

"Yes, I did. You were acting weirder than usual. What's up?"

Dylan led Harper down to the beach, away from all the houses.

"My dad's been calling my mom today. A lot."

"You sure?" He pulled out the phone and showed her. There were now five missed calls from him. "Well that's not good! What should we do?"

"WE will do nothing. I'M going to call him and tell him to bug off. She's happy! I'm happy!"

"I get that, but what makes you think he'll listen?"

Dylan sighed. "I… I don't know. I just can't let him ruin this."

"Are you kidding? Dylan, the way our parents look at each other is over the top gross. I don't think anything could come between them. Even Ray."

"I'm not taking any chances."

Back at the house, Jack came to sit next to Elizabeth on the couch. He pulled her legs up on his lap and smiled.

"I love you, Blue Eyes."

"And I love you."

Their lips met for a brief yet tender kiss.

"Jack, since both kids are out right now, I should tell you something."

"Is it about that call you got?"

"Yes, how'd you know?"

Jack shrugged. "You weren't acting completely yourself. Was it Ray?"

"Yeah. He's been calling a few times this afternoon. I need to tell him about us getting married. I can't imagine that going well."

"We can do it together. I can tell him or you can, but I'll be by your side the whole time."

"Can we do it now? Just to get it over with while the kids are out? I don't want Dylan to worry."

"Sure. Where's your phone?"

"In the kitchen." Jack got up to get it. "Are you okay telling him before your parents?"

"Shoot, I guess I didn't think about that."

"It's up to you, babe. I'll support you no matter what."

She sighed. "Let's just get it over with."

"Okay." Jack entered the kitchen. "One problem, where's your phone?"

Suddenly it dawned on her. Dylan's mood, his sudden desire to walk in the freezing New England winter. She frantically rose from the couch.

"The kids, we need to find them!"

Down on the beach, Dylan stared down at his dad's number on the phone screen. His hands were shaking. The very thought of having to hear that man's wretched voice again made him sick to his stomach, but he wanted to protect them.

"You don't have to do this, okay?" Harper placed a reassuring hand on his back. "We're basically siblings now. Let's just talk to my Dad. He'll make sure you both are safe."

"No. I'm doing this."

Just as he pushed the send button, Jack came running down the hill to the beach, yelling.

"Hey!"

Ending the call, Dylan dropped the phone in the snowy sand.

"I'm sorry!" Dylan spoke frantically.

"Did you do it?" Jack asked sternly. "Did you call him?"

"Yes, but it just rang. I didn't talk to him."

"Come on. Let's go home. Your mom's waiting there."

"I'm dead…" Dylan whispered as he picked up the phone.

Pacing outside in the cold, Elizabeth waited for Jack and the kids. When she saw his truck pull into the driveway she was relieved.

"Go." Jack tapped Dylan's leg. "Make this right."

"That's what I was trying to do. To be a man for my family."

"You will be a great man one day, son. For now, let your mom and I take care of the big stuff. Just be a kid, okay? You deserve that."

"You called me, son."

Jack smiled softly. "That's who you are to me. Forever."

"Thanks, Dad."

Dylan hopped out and with his head down, went to face his mom.

"Are we going in now too?" Harper asked.

"No. Let's let them work it out first."

"Dad, Dylan's so afraid of that man. Tell me he won't be able to hurt them again."

"I'll do everything I can to make it so he can't."

Elizabeth grabbed hold of her son as soon as she could and pulled him inside.

"Dylan! What were you thinking?"

"I saw your phone, Mom! He's calling you again? He needs to be told to go away! For good! I don't ever want to see him again!"

"Dylan Christopher, I know, but this? This is not the way to do it!"

With tears in both their eyes, they hugged each other.

Moments later, still in his mother's arms, Dylan spoke. "Jack called me "son."

"He loves you."

"Yeah. I love him too. I called him "Dad". Is that okay with you?"

"More than okay, sweetie. It's wonderful."

….

As everyone sat in the living room watching the New Year's Rockin' Eve on television, eating popcorn, and drinking hot cider, Elizabeth squeezed Jack's hand.

"Now?"

"Yeah."

Jack muted the sound on the TV and stood up, holding her hand securely in his. "We have an announcement," he told everyone.

"It's about time!" Charlotte whispered, a smirk on her face.

"We are getting married." Everyone cheered and toasted them. "On Valentine's Day."

"Next month?!" Grace and Vi said in unison.

"Yep. Just a small ceremony. Nothing fancy," Elizabeth confirmed.

"What's the fun in that?" Charlotte asked, obviously taking Grace and Vi's side.

"We have already done big weddings. We just want something intimate. Only family and close friends."

"Mom, your phone is ringing," Dylan told him.

She saw who it was and shut it off. "Not tonight."

Everyone started talking and pulled out the Monopoly Millionaire game to kill time until the ball dropped.

Elizabeth, Vi, Grace and Charlotte started talking about the wedding, which the couple wanted to have on the beach.

"It's the dead of winter," Charlotte said, pointing out the obvious.

"It will be quick and by the fire pit. We will be fine. That's the place that means the most to us so that's where we want it."

"What about your dress?" Vi wondered. "I'm not sure that we can get one tailored in time."

"I found one online and ordered it. It will be fine."

"You ordered your wedding dress online?" Grace asked.

"Yes. Ladies, trust me here. This is what we want. No fuss."

They finally took her word for it and moved forward with the planning.

"Ten minutes until midnight!" Jack announced, pouring champagne for the adults and sparkling cider for the kids.

As the last five minutes approached, Jack took Elizabeth and their champagne and headed to the fire pit which he had sneaked out and lit earlier. He slipped his arm around her waist and smiled. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself," she told him, her eyes traveling to his perfectly shaped lips. "Five, four, three…"

"Two, one," Jack whispered. "Happy New Year, Blue Eyes." His lips met hers in a gentle but lingering kiss.

"Happy New Year, Jack."

They sipped their champagne as they curled up on a chair by the fire. "This is nice."

"It is. Everyone is in wedding mode which is great, but they don't understand why we want a small wedding."

"I'm telling you, we should just elope. Actually, we should have gotten married at Disney and then announced it," he said with a laugh.

"I want them there, I just want what we want, you know?"

He put his glass down on the ground and pulled her closer, kissing her forehead and nose. "I just want our life together to begin."

"Me too."

…..

Ray drove toward the cottage, oblivious to the fact that it was after midnight. He swerved to miss what his inebriated brain thought was a deer in the road but in reality was nothing. He then overcorrected the wheel and almost went off the road.

As he got closer, he noticed that the lights were all off and Elizabeth's car wasn't in the driveway. "Where are you, Beth?" he sneered. "I bet you are with that fireman, aren't you?"

Ray wasn't sure where Jack lived and he couldn't really go looking for them, so he pulled off the road and shut off his lights to wait.

He fell asleep before they came home, however. The next morning, he woke up, his truck out of gas, shivering.

He got out of his car and walked up the road a bit to Elizabeth's cottage and pounded on the door. It took a few minutes and more pounding before she came to the door.

"Ray? What are you doing? It's six am."

His teeth were chattering and he was shivering so hard he couldn't speak.

Elizabeth pulled him inside to get warm. "Why are you so cold?"

"Ran…out of….gas."

"Where? How long have you been walking?"

"Not far…do you have….coffee?"

"Mom?" Dylan yelled, running in the room. "What are you doing here, Ray? You need to go!"

"Dylan, he needs our help."

"He needs help, but not the kind we can give him." Dylan crossed his arms and stared hard at Ray, causing him to laugh. "Why can't you just stay away? We don't want you."

"Dylan, please go to your room."

"Mom! I don't understand why you are helping him."

"I will explain it to you later."

Dylan shook his head and stood at the counter to watch.

Elizabeth made Ray a cup of coffee and gave him a blanket. "So, I don't suppose you have any gas?" Ray asked her.

"No, I don't. When you warm up, I can drive you into town to get some."

Dylan scoffed and crossed his arms again. "Unbelievable."

"Listen to your mother, boy!" Ray roared. "She deserves respect."

"You're right! She does but you don't!"

Ray shot to his feet and raised his hand to hit Dylan but Elizabeth got in his path. "No! You will not hit him, Ray. It's time for you to leave now."

"Where do you expect me to go?!"

Jack ran in the house a moment later. "What's going on?"

Elizabeth looked at Dylan who had obviously texted Jack.

"Ray needs to leave now," Elizabeth told Jack as she explained the situation.

Jack opened the front door and waited.

"I'm not going anywhere!"

"Yes, you are," Jack told him. "Now, you can either walk out of here or I will help you. Your choice. You have five seconds to decide."

At the last of the five seconds, Ray got in Jack's face. "This isn't over. They are my family, not yours!"

"You are wrong about that, Ray. They stopped being your family when you signed the divorced papers."

Ray walked out the door and Elizabeth rushed over to Dylan. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"Yeah, Mom, but you shouldn't have gotten in the way. I can take it."

"Wrong, sweetie. I will never let him hit you."

Jack walked over and wrapped his arms around both of them and held on tight. Something had to be done about Ray and if the police wouldn't do it, he would.

"I'm gonna follow him to his car. I think I have a can of gas in the back of the truck. I'll see that he gets away from here."

"Thanks, Jack." She turned to Dylan. "Go get dressed, okay?"

"Why? It's really early."

"We're going to the police. It's time."

…..

Not long after Jack was done making sure Ray was on his way out of town, Lee called from the station.

"Sorry, Jack, we're short handed."

"It's alright. Let me just drop Harper with my mom and I'll be there."

In the truck to his parent's condo, Jack was silent and it freaked out Harper quite a bit. She knew why her dad ran out the door that morning.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, honey bee?"

"Is he gone?"

"Yeah."

"Will he be back?"

"I sure hope not, but there's no telling with this guy." He reached over and took his daughter's hand. "Harper, promise me that as you get older and start dating, that if you ever end up in a bad spot, you'll tell me. I will always be there for you, understand?"

Harper squeezed her dad's hand. "I will, Dad. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie. Always."

….

Across town, Elizabeth and Dylan walked into the quiet police station.

"How do we do this?" Dylan asked, adjusting his Bruins black and gold winter beanie that covered his head.

"I'm not sure. I guess we find someone to ask and go from there. Maybe that man over there." She pointed to an older officer standing with a coffee mug watching the news.

"He looks like Oscar the Grouch. You sure, Mom?"

She shrugged and approached him.

"Sir, who do I talk to about a restraining order?"

The older man looked from her to Dylan and back. "Who against?"

"My ex-husband."

"I'm Detective Gowan. Come to my office over here."

They followed him into his messy and cluttered office, taking a seat in front of the desk.

"So tell me, why is it you need a restraining order?" he asked in a manner suggesting he couldn't care less.

"My ex-husband has a history of both physical and verbal abuse. My son and I moved here to get away from him but he keeps showing up."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"This morning. He almost hit our son."

"Almost isn't exactly abuse," he almost snickered.

Elizabeth was fuming inside. "The years of verbal and emotional abuse that he laid on me does. Now he won't stay away. Something needs to be done."

"This morning, did you let him into your home or did he barge in?"

Shoot, she thought. This wasn't getting them anywhere.

"Well, this morning I did let him in but…"

"Did you ever think that you might be sending him mixed signals? People don't normally invite people into their homes that they don't want around."

"Told you that was a bad idea," Dylan whispered, then receiving an elbow jab in the side from his mom. Lightly of course. "Look officer, my dad showed up this morning drunk and shivering. Apparently he'd camped out in his car waiting for us to come home. Mom was just trying to do the right thing. That doesn't mean he's a good guy or that either of us want him around."

"Maybe so, but…"

"But what?" Dylan raised his voice. "He's a jerk, so my mom needs to be one back to him? That's not the kind of person she is!"

"At ease, kid!" the man raised his voice.

"Sorry, but if you won't help us, we need to see someone who will."

"Detective," Elizabeth tried again. "This man has a history of drinking, verbal abuse, emotional abuse and threatening behavior. I don't feel like we are safe in our own home. Are you going to help us or not?"

"Ma'am, are you sure you aren't overreacting? Drinking is not illegal. Neither is being a bit mean."

Elizabeth stood fast, almost knocking over her chair. "Look, Detective Gowan. I'd like to talk to your superior. Now! We don't deserve what my ex is doing and we certainly deserve better than what you are dishing out."

"Do we have a problem here?" A tall, fit man about Elizabeth's age stood in the doorway with a stern look on his face. "Gowan?"

"Are you competent?" Dylan asked dryly. "Can you help us with a restraining order?"

"Are you fearful for your wellbeing?"

"We are, yes," Elizabeth answered.

"Gowan, I got this. Come with me."

Elizabeth and Dylan rose from their seats and followed the officer down two doors to his office.

"Have a seat." He gestured to two comfy chairs to the left of his desk. "Coffee or hot chocolate?"

"Sure!" Dylan smiled, and the man smiled back.

"I also have some teas."

"Two hot chocolates will be fine," Elizabeth smiled.

The office made three mugs of cocoa and brought them over. He pulled out his desk chair and sat down in front of them. This office was much nicer and more comfortable than Gowan's, for sure.

"I'm Detective Nathan Grant. Sorry about my co-worker. He's cranky in the mornings. Actually, he's cranky pretty much 24/7."

"Shocker," Dylan rolled his eyes. As if sensing a look from his mom, he apologized.

"So tell me about your situation."

For the next twenty minutes, Nate gathered all the information he needed. He never once questioned the authenticity of their stories. This was how Elizabeth had hoped it would go in the beginning.

"Okay, I think I have all that I need. Do you have a lawyer that we can keep in the loop in regards to the order?"

"Yes, Charles Kensington. He's in Boston though. Is that a problem?"

"Nope. Just need his information if he will be the one representing you at all in regards to Ray."

She hadn't asked him yet, but she knew Charles would help her, so she wrote all the information needed.

"Alright. I'll make sure you are notified when Mr. Wyatt receives the order. Depending on how easy he is to find, it should be by the end of the week."

As they stood to leave, Nate took a step closer to help Elizabeth with her coat. Dylan stared at the man trying to figure out if it was just a kind gesture, or something else. Either way, he was pretty sure he didn't like it.

"If you two need anything, here's my card. Just give me a call."

"Thanks. I think we'll be okay, but we appreciate it." She smiled, thinking of Jack and how safe he made her feel. It made her so grateful that God gave her a second chance. Now she wanted to see him badly.

They said goodbye and headed out to the car.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?"

"Good, I guess. I'm not sure I'm convinced that a piece of paper is going to keep him away from us, but at least this way if he tries again, there will be trouble for him."

"That's my thought as well." She put the car in gear and headed northbound. "What do you say we go see Jack and Harper?"

"I just got a text from Harp. Dad got called into work. She said I can go hang with her at Charlotte and Tom's though."

"Ok. Maybe I'll swing by Jack's firehouse after I drop you off."

"You gonna tell him about the cop?"

"The first one? He'll probably be furious and wish he'd come too."

"No, not him. I'm talking about the one that was flirting with you."

"Dylan!" she laughed. "Just because a person is nice does not mean they are flirting."

"He looked at you like you are a pork chop with a side of mashed potatoes."

"Where on earth did you get that from?"

"I know things, Mom, and he was into you."

"This is a bizarre conversation to have with my middle schooler…"

"Maybe. So are you going to tell Jack?"

"There's nothing to tell him, but with a heart of keeping everything out in the open and having no secrets, I will tell him your point of view."

"Seems fair enough."

Elizabeth couldn't help but grin over at her little boy. Too fast for her liking, he was growing up into a wonderful young man.

When they arrived at the condo, Elizabeth decided to walk Dylan inside so that she could say hi to Charlotte, Tom and of course, Harper.

Charlotte immediately began peppering her with wedding ideas that she and Grace had apparently been discussing over text. Elizabeth didn't even know her mom knew how to text but apparently she now knew how to plan a wedding through it.

"Let's schedule an evening for us all to get together," Elizabeth began. "Then we can just hash everything out at once."

"Perfect!" Charlotte exclaimed. "I'll text Gracie now."

"Can I come too?" Harper asked.

"Of course!" Elizabeth hugged her soon-to-be step-daughter. She had plans to ask Harper to be her bridesmaid, but didn't want to do it now. She wanted it to be special.

Getting back into her car, she pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Jack.

 _"Dylan's at your parents. Up for a lunch date in a bit? I can pick up some soup and sandwiches and meet you at the station."_

She put the car in gear and headed back towards her cottage, knowing Jack could very well be out on a call. She didn't expect a response right away. By the time she walked in her front door, her phone buzzed with a return message.

 _"Goodness yes! 12:30 ok?"_

 _"Perfect. C U soon."_


	21. Chapter 21

The next few weeks went by fast. The restraining order seemed to work as far as Ray hanging around. He had called and protested the moment he was served the order. That was just once though. In the meantime, Elizabeth was able to focus on wedding planning.

Elizabeth, Harper, Jack and Dylan were sitting around the table after dinner. "So, kids, your mom and I have a question for each of you," Jack told them.

"Okay," they said in unison.

"Harper, I was wondering if you would be my bridesmaid," Elizabeth said, smiling.

"Really?! Yes!" she agreed, jumping up to hug her.

"That's great, honey. Tomorrow you and I, Aunt Vi, Charlotte and Grandma Grace will all be going to find dresses."

"Cool!"

"And Dylan, would you be one of my groomsmen?" Jack asked his soon-to-be son.

"Yeah! Of course I will, Dad."

"Thanks, bud. I'm so glad. Tomorrow, you and I, William and Grandpa Tom will be going to get fitted for new suits."

"Aww..do I have to wear a suit?"

"YES!" all three of them said.

"Okay, okay, geez."

Later, Jack and Elizabeth lounged on the couch while an old black and white movie played across the room. They weren't paying much attention.

"So, babe, if you could go anywhere in the world for…"

"Greece!" she interrupted with a laugh.

"I thought you might say that. We leave Valentine's night, after the wedding. Two weeks in Greece."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. Completely."

She laughed and cupped his face in her palms, kissing him until they needed to breathe. "I love you, Jack Thornton."

"I love you too, Blue Eyes."

They separated slightly at the sound of Dylan's thundering footsteps coming up from the drum room.

"At least we always know when he's coming," Jack teased.

"For his sake, that is good. At least until he gets more used to us showing affection."

Dylan went straight to the fridge, pulling out a soda and a piece of cold pizza.

"I really like how easily at home he is here," Jack said wrapping his arm around Elizabeth.

"Just wait till you see what it does to your grocery budget. He ate three helpings of pasta tonight and now he's eating pizza."

"We'll manage. I remember what Tom and I were like."

By the time Dylan walked into the living room, the pizza was gone and the soda was half finished. Elizabeth laughed as he wiped the sauce from his cheek.

"Mom, Dad, can I go over to Zach's tonight? His mom says it's cool."

"I don't know, sweetie," Elizabeth said. "It's almost 8. How long do you plan on being there?"

"Till tomorrow. She said we could have a sleepover."

"You mean slumber party?" Harper teased as she came down the stairs in her sweats and hoodie, a Jane Austin book in hand.

"We're men. We don't do "slumber parties."

"You are so not a man, but whatever." She laughed at his look of irritation.

"Mom, Dad, please?"

"Sure, but you make sure to be on your best behavior there."

"Of course."

"I'll drive you over," Jack offered as he rose from the couch.

"I can just bike. It's not that far if I use the bike path."

"It's cold and snowy tonight. I'll feel much better if I drive you. You can even pick the music."

"Okay. I'll go grab my stuff."

Ten minutes later Dylan and Jack were out the door, leaving the girls to themselves on the couch. Harper was so excited to talk to Elizabeth about the book she'd just finished reading. It was Elizabeth's favorite as a teen, so she'd loaned her copy to Harper.

"I think this might be my new favorite book! Elizabeth and Darcy are hilarious. He's so grumpy and she's so stubborn."

"You know there's a few good movie adaptations of it. One has Kiera Knightly."

"Can we watch it?"

Elizabeth couldn't resist. This relationship with Harper was becoming stronger every day. Knowing that Jack wouldn't mind, she turned off the movie they had been watching. Sitting under a big quilted blanket with a bowl of popcorn between them, they started the movie.

"I'm glad you're here," Harper whispered.

Elizabeth kissed Harper's head. "Me too, sweetie."

In the truck, they were a mile away from the Coulter's home when Dylan realized he forgot something.

"Dad, can we run back home? I forgot the new Zelda. I said I'd bring it."

"If you want, I could bring it by tomorrow though. Or were you guys planning to stay up far too late to try to beat it?"

"Maybe…." Dylan grinned. "I'm sorry."

"Nah, I get it. Let's turn back."

Jack turned around at the next driveway. Dylan turned up the volume on the classic rock album they were listening to. This whole having a son thing was great for Jack. He wouldn't trade Harper for anything, but Dylan was a wonderful addition to his life.

"Dad, look out!" Dylan yelled.

Jack looked up to see a dark SUV swerving around the curve ahead of them at high speeds. There was almost no time to react. The next thing Jack heard was the sound of breaking glass and crushing metal.

….

Elizabeth glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. She'd thought Jack would have been back by now.

"You wondering where Dad is?" Harper asked.

"A little. I'm sure he and Lee just got to talking. Though, if Lee's at work, Rosie could be talking his ear off."

"That wouldn't surprise me," Harper laughed.

Elizabeth's phone rang. She paused the movie and answered. "Hey, Rosie, we were just talking about you."

"Good things I hope," she laughed. "I was just checking in to make sure Dylan was still coming over tonight."

Elizabeth felt her chest tighten. "He's not there right now?"

"No… Maybe they stopped at the market on the way. Growing boys and all." Even though Rosie's words were meant to be encouraging, Elizabeth could hear the worry in her tone. "I'll call Lee."

"Thanks, Rosie." She hung up.

"Elizabeth?"

"It's fine. Don't worry."

….

Only two miles from the house, Jack's truck laid on its side down a small embankment. The horn blasted, though no one was pushing it. The cold air blew through the broken glass, hitting Jack's skin like a knife.

"Dylan?" he called out with a groan. "Son, you okay?"

"Ow…" Dylan let out weakly. "Dad?"

"I got you, hang on." Jack unbuckled his seatbelt, bracing himself so he wouldn't fall with the angle the truck was at. "You okay?"

"My leg… it feels funny."

"But you can feel it?"

"Yeah. Kind of wish I couldn't though."

"No, trust me. Right now, that pain you're feeling is a good thing."

"There's this thing sticking in it. I think I can pull it out."

"No! Leave it be, Dylan." Jack moved to get a closer look. "Okay, that piece of glass is keeping you from bleeding too much. Whatever you do, do not pull it out."

"But it really hurts!" He winced.

"I know, son. I'm sorry. Hang tight, okay? I'm gonna check out what's happened and call 911."

"Can't you get me out?"

Jack examined the car. With Dylan's leg the way it was and the bruising already showing up on his neck, Jack worried about a spinal injury. At least Dylan could feel legs. That was a good sign. "Son, I need you to trust me. Moving you too soon could cause more damage. Just stay put."

"Okay."

Jack carefully maneuvered himself through the hole left from the broken windshield. The movement was too much for his shaken body to handle. As he stepped out onto the snowy ground, the world went dark and he fell with a thud.

"Dad? Dad!"

….

Two hours later, Elizabeth and Harper sat in a cold hospital waiting area waiting for an update. At this point, all they knew was that Jack and Dylan had been in an accident. Jack was suffering from a bad concussion and being monitored for a brain bleed, and Dylan was in surgery as the doctors tried to help his leg.

Both Jack and Elizabeth's parents were there, as well as Rosie and Zach. Lee and others from Jack's fire station had been the first to the scene. Right away Lee called Rosie and told her to get Elizabeth and Harper and meet them at the hospital. Despite her painful worry, Elizabeth felt blessed by friends and family.

Elizabeth stared at the TV screen mounted to the wall. It was on one of the late night comedy shows, but she comprehended nothing. Even her phone that was buzzing on the table beside her went unnoticed.

"Beth?" William walked over and knelt in front of her. "Your phone's ringing. Do you want me to answer it?"

She picked it up to look at the ID. "It's Ashley, I should answer. Hello?"

"Elizabeth, are you alright? I just got your message!"

This was the first time these two women had ever spoken. Once she'd arrived at the hospital and felt like she had some idea as to what was going on, Elizabeth called Harper's mom. She knew she'd want to know. When Ashley didn't answer, Elizabeth left a brief voice message.

"I'm… we're okay. No updates since my message earlier."

"Do we know what happened?"

"Police said it was a drunk driver."

"Oh my gosh! This is horrid! I don't know what to do. Should I fly up? Help you and Harper? Though that's probably weird for you. Forget that."

"Let me give the phone to Harper. And look, if she wants you here for support I won't stop you. We're all family."

"Thanks Elizabeth. Really though, I'm here for you. Whatever you need."

"Thanks."

Harper took the phone and immediately burst into tears. "Mommy! I'm so scared."

"Oh, sweetheart. Your dad is strong. He's going to be just fine."

"How do you know?" she sobbed.

"Because you need him and so does Elizabeth and Dylan. He won't let anything take him away from you."

"Yeah," she agreed. Elizabeth handed her a tissue and she wiped her eyes and leaned her head against Elizabeth's shoulder. "Thanks, Mommy."

"You're welcome. Now, do you want me to come up there?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay, sweetie. I'll be there tomorrow."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye, Harp."

Harper handed the phone to Elizabeth. "She'll be up tomorrow. Are you sure it's okay?"

"Positive. She's your mom, sweetie."

"But, you are too. I mean, you'll be like my step-mom. I don't want you to think I don't need…"

"Sweet Harper, I love you. It's okay to want your mom right now too. I know you have enough love in that big heart of yours for both of us."

"Thanks." Harper let out a sigh. "I don't know if I can sit anymore. Can I walk around? I'm just too nervous about Dad and Dylan."

"I don't know that I like the idea of you walking around on your own."

"I'll go with her." Zach stood. "Maybe the cafeteria is open. Would you like anything, Ms. Thatcher?"

"You're very sweet, Zach. I'm okay."

Rosie handed her wallet to her son. "Zachary, she likes black tea with a hint of honey and a splash of milk." She turned to Elizabeth. "You make the same thing every time you're in the teacher's lounge. Also Zachary, a cookie if they have it. She needs her strength."

"You got it. Anyone else?" He turned to the others. Some were hungry but had no idea what they wanted. Zach decided he'd just pick up a few snacks to bring back and they left.

"He's a good young man, Rosie," Elizabeth said.

"Thank you, but I can't take much credit. He's so much like Lee." Elizabeth nodded. "I should tell you though, your Dylan has been a wonderful influence on him."

"Really?" Elizabeth said, a little surprised. "I mean, I know he's a good kid."

"He sure is. Zachary was going through a rebellious stage a little while ago. Oh, so much sass, I couldn't stand it. I thought, if this is what the teenage years are going to be like, count me out!"

Elizabeth laughed. "This age can be tough."

"It truly can! Though once Zachary started having Dylan over, and saw the manners that just poured out of that boy, we saw a change. It was wonderful. That boy is a Godsend."

"Thanks, Rosie. He's always been the bright spot in my days." Elizabeth began to cry. "I can't lose him. Especially now. We're so close to having the kind of life I've always wanted for him. Jack is just… oh, Rosie, I can't lose either of them. I just can't!"

Before another tear could be shed, Grace was there, wrapping her daughter up in her protective arms.

"Shh, it's okay. We need to have hope. Stay strong. It's going to be okay."

Down on the first floor, Zach and Harper made their way through the hospital cafe.

Zach nudged her hand with his, causing her to look at him.

"You okay?"

She shrugged. She didn't want to cry again, especially not in front of the boy she liked.

"Its okay if you're not, you know? When my Grandpa died, I cried buckets. I'm not saying your dad's gonna die...I just mean, when you're scared, you don't always have to be strong."

She gave him a little smile and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Thanks, Zach."

His fingers softly touched hers, wrapping around them, making her heart beat faster. She was holding hands with a boy!

As they walked in the cafeteria, he kept her hand in his. Somehow it helped just enough.

They slowly walked back to the waiting room with all their snacks, talking along the way. It really helped Harper not to focus on bad thoughts.

"Maybe we should see a movie sometime," he suggested as they got back to the group.

"Yeah, maybe." She wasn't sure how her Dad would react but hopefully they could go.

Elizabeth wiped her eyes and nose, catching a brief glimpse of Harper holding Zach's hand before they let go. Harper brought Elizabeth's tea and a large oatmeal cookie. "Here you go, Mom. Hope you like oatmeal."

Elizabeth paused, new tears in her eyes.

"I can get you something else. I thought…"

"No, sweetie. You...called me Mom."

"Oh. If you don't want me to, I can just call you Elizabeth."

Elizabeth put her cup and cookie down and pulled Harper into a hug. "Harper, I love you like a daughter. I'd love for you to call me Mom."

"Are you sure?"

"Completely."

"Ok."

Elizabeth loosened her hold on Harper and picked up her tea. "So, you and Zach?"

"Shhh!" Harper whispered.

…..

Jack's head pounded as he struggled to open his eyes. He heard a loud moan and then realized the sound had come out of his own mouth.

"Easy, Mr. Thornton. Try not to move," a voice said, touching his shoulder.

"Dylan?" he managed to say. "Where's my son?"

"Dylan is in surgery for his leg."

"Is he okay?"

"I'll get more information for you." Jack attempted to raise his head but immediately put it back down because the room was spinning.

"Can I get some pain meds?"

"I'll get the doc to come look at you and then, yes."

"And Elizabeth? I need to see her."

"Who's Elizabeth?"

"My fiancé. And my daughter, Harper. I just need to see them."

"One thing at a time, Mr. Thornton."

He sighed and closed his eyes again. "Why do I hurt so much?"

"You have a concussion and some serious bumps and bruises."

"Feels like my ribs are broken."

"Actually just bruised. We did a full body scan. No fractures."

The doctor came in about an hour later. Somehow Jack had fallen asleep despite his pain levels. The doctor woke him up.

"Mr. Thornton? I'm Dr. Timm. How are you feeling."

"Terrible. Everything hurts."

"We can get you some pain meds in just a moment." The doctor shone a light in his eyes, causing more pain. After more examination, the doc ordered meds.

"I need to know about my son. Dylan Wyatt. Please. He was in surgery."

"Your son doesn't have the same last name?"

"His Mom and I are getting married soon. Please, doc."

"I can't give you any info on him since you aren't his family."

"I need to see Elizabeth," he pleaded. "Elizabeth Thatcher." He fought against the drowsiness that the medicine was causing.

Elizabeth looked up when someone in blue scrubs entered the waiting room.

"Charlotte Thornton?"

"That's me," Charlotte told the nurse.

"I have an update on Jack."

"Elizabeth, Tom, Harper, come here."

"Jack has a concussion and some bruised ribs and other lacerations. We are monitoring him for possible bleeding in the brain. Right now, he's on some pain medication that's making him drowsy."

"Can we see him?" Harper asked.

"How old are you?"

"Twelve."

"Since he is not in ICU at this time, we can allow it. Two at a time. He is also asking for Elizabeth."

"Harper, you can come in with me," she told her. Harper nodded, wiping her eyes. "He is okay. Let's go see him."

Elizabeth's nerves were making her shaky as she and Harper walked hand-in-hand into Jack's room.

Harper squeezed her hand and walked closer to Elizabeth as soon as she saw Jack.

"Its ok, sweetheart."

"He looks…"

Elizabeth hugged her, knowing what she was thinking. "He's not. Look at the screen. Hear the beeping? That's his heartbeat. He's asleep right now but he's alive."

Jack slowly opened his eyes. "Hey," he whispered, reaching for them. "How are my beautiful girls?"

Harper rushed forward and hugged him, causing a bit of discomfort, but he didn't care. "Oh, honey bee. I love you so much."

"Daddy! I'm so scared."

"I'm okay. I promise."

Elizabeth touched his face and smiled, mouthing the words, "I love you."

"I love you," he mouthed back, turning his face slowly to kiss her hand.

Elizabeth was so relieved to see Jack and know he was okay. Now she needed to hear about Dylan.

"How's Dylan?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. I haven't heard anything."

"They won't tell me anything since I'm not family."

"I'll make sure they do."

Dylan was out of surgery an hour later. He had broken his leg in two places as well as had internal bleeding due to the glass puncturing his thigh.

Elizabeth sat next to his bed once he was in recovery, holding his hand. Her little boy was sure growing up. Twelve years old but so much older at heart. Always wanting to protect her and with so much love inside him.

"Thank you, God, for saving my little boy. He's my world but you know that," she prayed. "Thank you for saving Jack as well and for giving me Harper. She's such a sweetheart. Please help me to always be what she needs."

"Mom?"

She lifted her head and smiled. "Dylan. Hi, sweetheart."

"Is Dad ok?"

"Yes. He's just fine. Everything is going to be just fine."


End file.
